Playing With Fire
by A.J.RITE
Summary: (This is a sequel to a Shining Crown for a Darkened Heart.) Zed returns to Etheria, this time he is in command of an operation with cataclysmic consequences. Dose Adora and her friends have the strength to beat the Horde Prince at his own game? or will they lose somebody close to them trying?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Princess Allerga's eyes moved frantically as she did skillfully making her way through the Whispering Woods. There was no danger, no soldier that was too powerful for her and her pack of White Fangs, for she used their eyes as well as she used her own. No matter how the ancient forest warped and bent, she always knew where she was in relation to her pack for with her White Fangs, the Whispering Woods was her domain. She had watched the warrior She-Ra be reborn and Horde soldiers fall and she had witnessed two kings be born from the trials of a single crown. One King born from his bloodline and the other born by his actions. She knew when the two kings met once more Etheria, her planet, would finally be at peace.

Forever.

Though at this very moment as she jumped and leaped over branches and overturned the logs, she feared that she would never see the day when two would make the world whole once more. For she was being chased by the Evil Horde this time in a way that made her fear that they would finally catch her. Close behind her was a single man piloting a narrow vehicle like a mechanical horse hovering just above the ground always a breath from catching her or swiping at a member of her beloved pack. From the sky darted around something that looked like a giant bat watching her movements from above the tree line of the Whispering Woods.

She tried to make a narrow turn heading for the brush as the third member of the party hunting her cut her off swinging two glittering hand axes a series of mechanical insects darting after her as each of the blades missed.

Her feet and hands began to feel like they were on fire as she tried to maneuver around and hide from the Hordsmen that were after her. She had never seen such confidence soldiers give chase through the Whispering Woods without disturbing a monster or being lost in its endless maze.

She took a breath as the sound of the vehicle and footsteps that had been giving chase seem to of eased into nothing. The moment she realized she wasn't alone it was too late. A net of chain and electricity fell down upon her making her crumble into a tiny ball. The White Fangs, her pack let out howls of fear as their chosen leader was captured. Princess Allerga screamed and struggled as she fought against the pain of net, but eventually the electric shocks made her struggles go week and she lay there pinned to the ground. She had never thought that she would die before seeing her people on the Green Islands free, free from her paranoid father and the neglectful Princess alliance. Her vision became hazy s that her eyes watered as tears began to form and nearby White Fangs growled and warning as the ax wielding Hordsmen approached now are resolved to fight had melted way. She finally looked at the attacker.

He was a scrawny young man probably only a few years older than her with an overall not threating with his blonde hair with a bright green visor covering large blue eyes. The mechanical insects that he controlled chirping and buzzing angrily on the bark of nearby trees. She turned to look to see the vehicle that had been chasing her as well approach the rider removing his helmet to see a young pointy eared man with dark hair and eyes stare out at her, if it wasn't for the Horde uniform, he wore he looked almost handsome the way he smiled at her.

From the sky the bat shaped the vehicle that had it captured her now lowered into the Whispering Woods tearing up the branches of trees as it did. Then hovering as if still suspended from a string a hatch from below it opened and through it fell another Horde's men who adeptly landed on his feet, this one with his hair that seemed to shimmer between sunlight and fire was familiar to her.

"Zed! You've come back for me." The Princess cried well her packs greeted him with the same growls of warning.

"Yes, I have." Zed said kneeling down before the trapped Princess in carefully removing the net "just like I promised." He said then he turned it to the other two males that was a part of his hunting party and said "Kyle, Romeo this is Princess Allerga" he then tossed an emerald green pin behind him and instinctively the feral Princess caught it "She is one of us now." He said with a smile.

**(AN: Just a quick reminder once more this is a sequel to the other fanfiction I did a few months ago. It uses characters that exist in the original She Ra universe and have yet to be adapted over into the Princesses of Power universe or are set to be revealed in season two. Because of this, this fanfiction might seem strange and outdated when those characters officially appear. If you have any critiques or thoughts on how this sequel should go just leave a review or PM me. I always like having conversation with respectful fans.)**


	2. Chapter 1

The Girl named Trouble

Adora's heart was pounding as she was trapped between the taller adults in the cave. Every voice was filled with discontent in fear as the rocket it is sounds of explosions filled the air outside. With a great deal of effort, she pushed her way through the crowd to make her way to the mouth of the cave. She let out a gasp when she saw the figures standing at the caverns mouth.

It was Catra, who emanated in air of authority among the people who huddled around her in the cave. "I'm going back out there." She said commandingly "There is still people out there and Small Lady is still missing." With a flick of her tail she turned around and pulled an unfamiliar red mask over her eyes. "Takes the Tiger's eye deep underground and hide yourselves away from the world until I return." With that final command she bounded out of the cave on all fours.

"Wait!" Adora called out to her pushing herself away from the crowd and into the dust filled battlefield that lay behind the cavern.

Bombs fell with unearthly speed creating cacophonous blasts that tore up dirt and spread smoke everywhere. Adora ran as fast as she could after the form of Catra, covering her ears as the world crumbled around her and as she became a blind from the black smoke. With another blast Adora was sent flying through the blackness.

On and on she rolled as if she had been tossed carelessly off the mountainside. When she finally stopped, she was no longer in the battlefield that she had followed Catra into. The ground was even an icy cold as a pile of gems and coins lay under her cushioning her from the lawn the fall. She inspected the room she had landed in further and questioned how she managed to arrive in such a place. Despite the chill the room was opulent, filled with treasures and artifacts she could clearly identify as First One's technology.

A short scream pain jarred to awareness that she got to her feet "Who's there?" Adora shouted into the room.

There was no response to her question, but she followed the sound of a mechanical humming to a glass containment pod. Laced with precious metals and first one's technology it almost looks like an ornate decorative egg, though when she approached, she saw a figure within barely able to stand but held up by restraints that punctured into the person's body.

Adora let a gasp when she approached close enough to the person with in the pod. It was Zed, the heir to the Evil Horde son to the wicked creature that ordered Hordak to invade Etheria. He had disappeared a few months ago when he had manipulated Bow to finding the Crown of Knowledge, then he had disappeared without a trace. Now trapped inside the containment pod his gray eyes stared out at her in great pain as tubes and wires funneled strange lights and dark liquids through his body.

Zed's mouth moved clearly trying to tell her about something, but the glass in the containment pod was so thick no sound escaped it but its own.

At that moment her hand felt heavy and she looked down to see that she had been holding the Sword of Protection. The spark of an idea filled her head at that moment, though when she turned to look back up at the containment pod it had been replaced by an on this black crystal. Cracks laced the surface of the stone as an ominous violet mist leaked through the fishers.

Within the stone was a silhouette of a creature she could not make out, the more she focused on that shape the vaguer and indistinct it became. Adora's hands began to shake as she felt in evil energy from the stone, whatever was inside the crystal it had been put there as its prison and the cracks were the signs of escape attempts.

In another blink of the eyes she was standing in front of the containment pod, Zed's hanging by the painful support says he slumped unconscious. The machine was obviously killing him in some way and she had to act fast. She raised the sword up readying to strike at the glass hoping that the shatter would not harm the young man inside too much. Then with a great inhale of breath she swung down upon the containment pod.

There was a sickening crack, the impact spread like a spider web like pattern around its surface the reflective surface caving in slightly at the tip of her sword. The damage it was significant, but it had not landed on the containment pod. The ghastly mist poured out of the crater she had made trying to tangle itself around the sword in her arms.

Adora jumped back as she watched the entity within the dark crystal press itself against the new fishers. Like a cold-blooded creature trying to bust out of an egg, the entity within began to rip away at the fishers pulling itself out of the dark stone as the mist poured out in unrestrained did waves.

Before the entity could turn its sights on her a blinding light filled the room, Adora's sense of feeling began to shift around her as her very sense of reality began to warp. Then with a sharp inhale of breath she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of her room in Castle Brightmoon. Images and impressions of the dream she had had a dancer crossed her mind though the more she tried to focus on them the more disconnected and stranger they seemed. Her body sinked down into the cushions of her bed as she thought about Zed for the first time in months sentence, they had lost him in the Whispering Woods.

There were obviously more pressing and immediate matters when it came to the Evil Horde, though Zed was a threat that was never resolved. He was dangerous in a way that she couldn't even fathom even during her time in Hord he was considered the mere manifestation of Hord Primes will. He appeared on newly conquered planets to force their inhabitants into dedicating their lives to the enternal war effort of the Horde, his mere presence on another planet had been said to squash rebellions for independence through every inch of Horde space.

Adora felt deep down in her bones that he was more dangerous free out there somewhere between all the universes and dimensions that the Horde had sunk their claw in. Then locked up in a resistance prison where he might have a chance of being reformed to understand that the message, he had grown up with was wrong, like she had to.

Even as she thought it, she wasn't even sure if Zed could be retaught to tell the difference of good from evil. Every piece of propaganda every lie the Horde used on innocent people was the milk he drank as a baby and the cloths he wore even now. His identity was so tied into what the Evil Horde was it might destroy him much more than it had hurt Adora to realize the fact everything he was taught was a lie.

She set up hearing the sound of two voices squabbled from down the hall, both sounding distinctly like Glimmer's own voice. Confused she got out of bed and went to Glimmer's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Glimmer?" She said though the door.

Adora heard an exasperated groan "Look now you brought Adora into this!" Glimmers voice shouted.

"Maybe if you just talk to me instead of screaming like a baby, she could have slept in." Glimmers voice responded to herself, and Adora wondered why glimmer was arguing with herself "Also, you replaced me with another girl! Rude." Glimmers voice continued.

Glimmer let out a loud shriek in response to her own voice "I didn't replace you! You! Don't! Live here!"

"Adora help…" Bow's exasperated voice called to the door.

Concerned for her friend's safety adore a entered the room to see the strangest site. On the floor was glimmer hands on her hips and face stern staring up towards her bed with a silent fury. Sitting on the windowsill was Bow looking up at something at the ceiling with the grade exhaustion rubbing the side of his head like he had a headache.

On top of glimmers bed looking down at the three of them with her legs dangling off the edge. Was a another Glimmer a one to one copy to the one that was on the floor except this one was smiling of contentment.

"Adora! Hi, this is such an awkward situation. Sorry to wake her you." The glimmer that was perched on the bed said with a smile.

"Get her out! Get her out!" The Glimmer on the floor turned red face staring up at the other, then swiveled her head to Adora "She snuck passed all the guards! Mom is going to kill us if she sees her!" She pointed to her copy on the bed.

"I'm so confused." Adora looked between the two glimmers and Bow before saying "Glimmer I didn't know you could duplicate."

"Duplicate!" The Glimmer on the bed let out a laugh then said "Hold on let me get myself down."

The Glimmer on the bed then jumped off it tumbling down and cartwheeling across the floor. As she did her body became taller and willowier as the purple hair began to shrink into a boy cut in turn paler into a bright blonde. The cloths on her body began to shift from purple to bright green with brown armbands and boots.

Standing up straighter of the blonde waved it at her door and said "Hi, I'm Double Trouble, Glimmers cousin." Her voice longer sounding like Glimmers and instead sounding more chipper and bell like her bright emerald eyes glittering at Adora.

"I didn't know Castaspella had a kid." Adora responded with a nervous smile, slightly off put by the site of Troubles shape shifting ability.

"She's not." Bow said almost nervously.

"Yeah I'm from aunt Angie's side of the family." Trouble chimed in with a big smile "Speaking of auntie where is she?" Her expression turned to teasing as she looked at Glimmer.

The sparkling haired Princess gritted her teeth before saying sharply "Stop playing games Trouble." She stamped her foot on the ground "Why are you here?"

"Did you not read the letters I sent? I need your help with something." Double Trouble pouted like a small child.

Glimmer rolled her eyes and said "When do you ever need help."

Double trouble looked hurt at Glimmer's statement and then said "Look I got someone busted into my room in the middle of night and left this letter." She looked at the trio around her silently imploring them to believe her "They want to meet in Green Thatch tonight, they said they had information that could change my life. Maybe the whole world."

Glimmer teleported up to her bed and said "Why not just go by yourself, Green Thatch is literally your backyard." She said snide down to her cousin.

"Glimmer come on, Green Thatch is home to the Etheria's largest black market." Bow deliberated greatly off put by Glimmer's dismissive nature "It's been rumored that Horde soldiers will even come in trade small weapons and information for basic goods." He stared up at Glimmer at her a frown "It's super dangerous to go alone."

"Please Glimmer, what if it ends up helping the rebellion." Trouble pleaded up to glimmer "What if they know what happened to my parents!" She let out a huff then looked to Adora "How about you? You seem like a good person."

* * *

"Please don't be mad at me!" Adora said for what felt like the hundredth time as they said in the back of a covered wagon. She had agreed it to help Double Trouble, something in the girl's willingness to visit them when she was not supposed to told Adora, that the shape shifting girl definitely needed her.

Glimmer is stared at her with her arms crossed before saying "I'm not mad." The glittering haired Princess relaxed and continued "At least now she's out of the castle." She said referring to her cousin who was already driving the cart.

"Why don't you like Double Trouble, she's your cousin isn't she?" Adora asked glimmer genuinely curious seeing that there is another family member that glimmer didn't have a good relationship with.

The glittering haired Princess stood up and poked her head out of the canvas wagon, checking for something. Then turned back to the inside of the cart putting whatever had bothered her at ease.

"Honestly she's just weird." Glimmer admitted sitting back down "I think we had a good relationship once, she used to live in Brightmoon with mom and I. Then she did something to the freak mom out and she was moved way to Castle Green Glade." Glimmer then looked down to the floor of the cart "Mom never liked talking about Trouble and her attitude towards her just has kind of rubbed off on me, I don't even read the letters she sends me." She shrugged once she finished explaining.

Adora nodded and then looked over Bow who was to staring in the distance absentmindedly "Bow?" She called to him.

Bow blinked startled before saying "Uh? Oh yeah Double Trouble, honestly I haven't met her since today."

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked him concerned by his behavior.

Bow nodded and said "Yeah I've been just having some weird dreams, they've just got me a little distracted."

Remembering her dreams from last night Adora asked "What did you dream about?" Where you did that there might've been a connection.

Bow's face splashed with color as he looked around the narrow space before saying "Umm nothing important."

Before Adora could ask another question, the cart lurched to a stop nearly making the trio fall off balanced.

"Okay this is as far as we can go without some creep oh offering the buy the horse." She tossed a sack into "Here."

Glimmer was the first to open the sack her expression souring as she said "Cloaks and masks?"

"If anybody recognizes us, will be bothered and I won't be able to find whoever wrote the letter." Double trouble said pulling out her own mask in head "Plus, where we're going it's practically the dress code."

With varying degrees of willingness, the group put on their disguises. Adora having the hardest time getting her mask properly situated where she could see through it.

"Oh yeah there's an extra cloth for your sword Adora." Trouble adjusted her mask and pulled the hood over her head.

"Does Bow need one?" Adora asked watching those sling his weapon over his shoulder

Trouble shook her head and said "Nah, he might even get job offers if he keeps it out in the open." "For you on the other hand that swords scream 'please robbed me'."

"You sure know a lot for this being your first time in Green Thatch." Glimmers said in a judging tone.

"Who said it was my first time?" The frail blonde said with a smirk "After all you did notice that this place is technically my backyard."

Trouble and jumped off of the card and the trio followed suit. Green Thatch was a village of few physical buildings, it tents lining every inch of the road. There was a sense of uneasiness about the places they caught glimpses of Horde insignia on tent flaps and pieces of cloth always just out of her vision.

"Come on guys let's get going!" Trouble called back to the trio moving through the noisy streets as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

From the side of the road a vendor called out "Dragons eggs! Dragons eggs imported all the way from Beast Islands!"

"Horde scrap, precious metals!" Another vendor called out this time seeming to direct his calls towards Glimmer.

Bow nearly jumped out of his as large rodent caring a small squirming sack in its mouth.

After a few frightful moments tracking there way to one of the solid buildings in town. I was large and run down, signs that once indicated the building was an inn where missing or in disrepair. Trouble looked around before knocking on the door.  
"Password?" A guff voice answered the door.

"There is no compromise, when you have a sword placed to your throat." Double trouble smirked.

There was the tumbling of locks before the door swung open "Behave yourselves now." A muscular man stood in the doorway looking at the four before continuing "The staff doesn't break up fights until there's a body count."

Walking into the building there was a steep step downwards the flooring seeming to be ripped up and replaced with a thin layer of packed dirt. The room on the first floor was filled with the roisters sound of the laughter overpowering the faint sound of music coming from deeper within the room. Letters in rickety wooden staircases went up to wooden balconies each with open doorways that went to places unseen. The entire building smelt like sweat mixed with smoke, which made glimmer cough added strength.

"Now what?" Adora asked Double Trouble, unsure how to proceed in such a place.

Trouble adjusted her mask before saying "Spilt up, the letter wasn't clear about the person I so just keep an ear open." She said before heading deeper into the room.

Glimmer suspicious of her cousin immediately followed after double trouble. Meanwhile Bow and Adora looked at each other briefly before heading to separate ends of the room.

Adora was anxious everyone in the room wearing dark hooded cloaks and having scarves and mass covering parts of their face. Not being able to quickly identify someone was a villain are not it made her unable to relax. She sat down and began to wonder which of the tens of suspicious characters was the suspicious character that wanted to talk to Double Trouble. Then a voice with a thick accent that sounded more like an animal growl than a voice caught her interest.

"You're saying the Horde and knows about the location of the lost Small Lady." The voice spoke just behind her.

Another voice, male young and silken answered "I need, thought she is not so small, or much of a lady."

The first voice gave a catlike hiss as it spoke "To the unnamable one's with the Horde! There all thieves. Just like the scum in this building."

"Hold your tongue, fur ball." The young man's voice became suddenly sharp and cold "After all my contact come from deep with in the Horde, don't make them revoke their deal with Halfmoon."

'Halfmoon.' Glimmer and Queen Angella had never mentioned another moon related kingdom, it made Adora slightly curious. Though she knew she turned around and looked at the two who are talking and spy on them, she would only bring more suspicion to herself. Even to know that there is someone in the Horde wants to help the other kingdom, which could be either really good or really bad.

"So be it. When will we have our Lady back?" The heavily accented voice relented.

"Wait for the invation, you'll know what to do after that." The younger voice answered.

Adora couldn't handle her curiosity and turned around to see the people who are talking, at least so she could find one of them later. Though when she glanced back there was a girl about Frosta's age staring up at her.

The girl's hair was an unkept main that poured over her face, and scarf that wrapped around her lower face was a dingy white "Miss." The girl looked up at her with golden eyes.

"uh?" Adora looked at the girl with both confusion and shock. There was something about the small girl that brought back in unwelcome memory of her childhood.

"I'm scared can you help me?" The Golden eyed girl pulled on her sleeve.

Meanwhile Bow moved throughout the building unable to stay in one place for long, he was starting to regret compelling Glimmer to go to this place. He couldn't help see danger at every turn, every masked face, every shadowy figure could be a potential attacker waiting to strike. He moved through a small crowd of people and sat himself down at a table near the rickety stage that was smashed up against the wall.

Now that he was close to stage, he looked at the set of performers. There was a set of robots similar to the one's in Dryl playing sets of instruments as a stranger dressed in a bright red hood sang. He recognized the song from an opera about a king who tried to ascend through magic to gain the love of a goddess. As he listened, he realized the voice of the singers sounded familiar. Bow looked up his eyes making the gray eyes of the singer and his blood went cold.

Bow stood up and moved away. "Not him." He whispered under his breath, he knew it that the singer on the stage truly couldn't be who he thought it was. It made him sick to stomach that the memory of the night he had frist met Zed came to his mind. Whatever he had thought he had truly gotten over that incident the universe found a way to give the horde Prince some type a space in his mind. If it wasn't from the little things that reminded him it ended up happening when he fell asleep.

He sat down at the bar. Far away enough from the stage where he couldn't see the singer, but still caught some parts of the song.

A stranger sat down beside him his stature along with the mustache on his face looked familiar to Bow "So, do you just use that for hunting, or do you have combat experience." He said.

"What?" Bow asked before remembering what Trouble had said about his weapon "Oh, my bow, it's for combat."

"Ever thought of taking up a contract." The stranger asked.

"Contract?" Bow said unsure.

"I've got a privateering crew, we could always use a new marksman." The man said stroking his mustache "We can set you up for a couple months, when it's over you take a portion of the loot boy."

Bow narrowed his eyes and looked away "Eh I don't know."

Back at the stage Glimmer was fuming "No!" She screamed as quietly as she could to Trouble.

Double Trouble rolled her eyes and said "Come on G, his songs about to end." She stuck out her lip "The next song needs a female voice, he'll get kicked off the stage."

"That's not our problem." Glimmer put a hand on her cousins' shoulder "Don't you want to find the person who wrote that letter?" she tried to reason with her.

Double Trouble's eyes fell to the ground and she nodded "Yes." She said softly.

Glimmer gave a sigh of relief as her cousin touched her hand.

"So, it be easier for them to find me if I'm on that stage!" Double Trouble said cheerfully.

"Trouble!" Glimmer shouted her cousin.

However, it was too late double trouble had jumped on stage and started to pick up where the red headed singer had left off. The Princess of Brightmoon clenched her fist, and stomped over to a table in the corner her blood boiling. Glimmer couldn't understand her cousin's behavior, she honestly questions if she was actually related to the shapeshifter.

A shadow eclipsed Glimmer's view of the stage "Mind if I sit here?" A calm velvety voice asked her.

Glimmer looked up at the stranger in the dark blue hood the upper part of his Face covered by a mask that looked like a skull "Sure, why not." She said as she carefully watches the stranger pull up a seat beside her.

"Your sister seems to like attention." The blue hooded stranger stated watching Double Trouble filling out the female roles of the Opera by seeming to shift her voice and various pitches with the verses.

Glimmer let out an exhausted half and said bluntly "Not my sister, cousin."

The stranger nodded and pointed in the direction of the red hooded figure "The guy on stage, he's my boss or partner." He shifted his head slightly "it's complicated."

Glimmer knowing that you probably shouldn't have a conversation with a black marketeer or criminal said "Don't worry, there's someone in my life that I complicated relationship with." Knowing that the stranger probably didn't know anything about her anyways.

"Oh, I didn't… I'm not dating any one." The stranger said with a bit of confusion her voice.

"Same." The Brightmoon Princess responded.

The stranger turned to look at glimmer his dark eyes peering out of the bone white mask "You've got petty eyes." He complimented her

glimmer was thankful that the hood and mask was concealing part of her face, hiding the redness the redness of blush at the stranger's words "You voice sounds nice." She answered before turning turning her face away from him.

Meanwhile at the bar Bow's heart was sinking at the sound of double trouble joining in with the masked singer. It reminded him too much of the night he first met Zed, he wondered if he knew now what he did that night if you would've ever intervened. A part of him, that traitorous part of him, the light complaining about his friends and talking softly to bloodthirsty monsters knew that he would repeat every event the same way all over again.

"You see my ship has solar sails, therefore it has the ability to launch itself out of the water and sailed the skies as well as the sea." The mustache stranger slurred between a sip of his drink "I can't tell you how many times I've used it to commandeer ships and robbed them of their loot."

The way the mustache stranger told stories and boasted about himself reminded Bow was Seahawk. Even though his friend was a pirate he was sure that Seahawk would never go to a place like this.

"You sure like to talk about your ship, whatsits name?" Bow asked trying to have a conversation with the stranger

"Aye would be called of the Seahawk." The stranger let out a belt of laughter slapping Bow on the back "Spent my entire life tuning and rebuilding it to the best privateering vessel around."

Bow flinched, surely it was just a coincidence that a boat and his friend's name were so very similar. Even though he knew it might draw attention to himself he began to look around for his friends, though he cannot see them through a crowd people who are talking loudly. A sense of dread filled his stomach and forced himself to remain calm.

Glimmer on the other hand was perfectly relaxed with the blue hooded mail that had started up a conversation with her. Even though he wasn't willing to give a lot of details it seemed that the bright moon Princess and him had a very similar home life, with a single parent that it expected them to be something they're not. In the stranger's case he was now a higher ranking than his father yet still couldn't seem to get any respect from him. It made her feel both grateful that she was able to patch up her relationship with her mother and disappointed that she knew she probably couldn't help the stranger she was talking to.

Then the blue hooded stranger stood up and held a hand to her "Dance with me." He offered of a wide smile under his skull mask.

Glimmer looked around the room, and then at the floor and answered with "People will stare at us, I don't know." She mumbled and shifted in her chair, pulling herself more into the cloak she was hiding in.

He smiled faltered in his hand dropped slightly "Well, don't want to force you." His sweet voice turning into something a little more vulnerable "You just seem to be fun to dance with."

Glimmer looked up at the stage at her cousin who was singing along and soaking up attention, like there wasn't another reason that they were at the shady place. "Fine let's do it, I'll dance with you." She said standing up and taking his hand.

She pulled up out of her seat, with such strength it startled her. The stranger pulling her to him making her face flush red with embarrassment as she saw trouble wink down at her from the stage. Glimmer straightened up slightly to look at the figure with the skull mask, not comfortable with staring directly into his chest.

"Is this too close? The music does work better if a slow dance." He asked.

Glimmer of thought about for a second before saying "Yeah. This is fine."

Glimmer and the stranger moved together to the sound of the music. Though the Brightmoon Princess felt self-conscious realizing that she was probably dancing with a potential enemy.

"You're doing really well, have dance like this before?" The stranger complimented her once more.

"Not really I." Glimmer said, but stopped yourself realizing that she couldn't talk about how she learned to dance for the Princess prom. She frowned slightly remembering that she actually didn't get a chance to enjoy herself because the Horde had ambushed the dance and ruined everything.

"it's okay don't say anything." He responded.

While the music droned on Adora stumbled through a darkened backroom, following the little girl who asked for help. "I don't think you family is back here." She told the little girl.

"No. I hear my big sister in here." The girl stamped her foot and looked back at her with those bright yellow eyes.

Then jumped as if startled and moved to tunnel entrance that was covered by a thick metal grate. The sounds of the shifting bodies and patted footsteps could be cured echoing from within.

"I hear them! My familie is in here!" "I can't get this gate to budge." "They're stuck!"

Adora twitched hearing the girls beautiful winds as she reached between the grading, probably to comfort one of her family members that were trapped on the other side. How they ever ended up in the tunnel she didn't know, but she knew there was only one way to get them out. She killed off the cloth that covered the sort of protection and held it as high she could "by the Honor of Gray Skull!" She activated the sword and became She-Ra, her taller body dwarfing the small girl that was in the room with her.

"She-ra!" The Golden eyed girl nearly squealed at the sight of her.

She raised up her sword and told the girl "Move aside." Then swung the powerful blade at the tunnel entrance.

The metal grating fell away and the sound of approaching bodies began to rush towards the tunnel entrance. Though what emerged was not people, but several large White Fangs eyes glowing with hunger.

"So much! Thanks for letting my pack in." Allegra pulled off the scarf that was concealing her face and smiled at the glowing warrior "For being so helpful, I'll give you a 10 second head start."

Then as if giving a silent order each of the wolflike beast began to growl, slowly stalking towards the glowing warrior.

_**(AN: so, here's the end of the official first chapter, if you liked it or had any thoughts whatsoever please leave a review. I appreciate any type of feedback, even if it's to tell me how bad the story is. If you have any extra thoughts or suggestions don't be shy and just p.m. me.)**_


	3. Chapter 2

The Call of the Ghost

Everything was a wave of chaos, Bow was unsure what had happened first. Had Adora as She-Ra falling through the ceiling, being tackled and snapped at by massive golden eyed White Fangs made everyone draw their weapons. Or. Was it that the robots that had been playing instruments on stage shifted and morphed into hulking humanoids figures with glowing red eyes, chest plates bearing the insignia of the evil Horde that started the fight.

Either way, a fight erupted and he couldn't find Glimmer or Adora anywhere.

With a swift movement he rolled to the side as a bat winged robot with the jaws of a bear trap tried to take off his head. He then made his way outside the building, the massive throng of fighting people making it hard to use his weapon for anything besides blocking a stray hit. With a deep breath, he shouldered his way between the backs of two brawlers as he forced himself up and out the door.

The rest of Green Thatch was as chaotic as within the Tavern. Robot troopers had set fire to the vendors tents and the sky buzz with more of the bat winged robots. He ran around the blazing fabric and the protentional of getting his of getting his arm bitten off by a flying robot.

Then caught by surprise. A pair of arms wrapped around him "Bow!" Glimmer had to him tightly "I fond you!" Tears welling up in her eyes.

"Glimmer!" Bow instinctively hugged her back and asked "What's wrong?"

"I can't find Adora or Trouble!" She looked up at him with a great deal of fear on her face, as well as something else that both recognized as betrayal.

Bow looked around at the chaos of Green Thatch, debating on whether it be the best to find a safe place to hide or brace for another attack as they try to look Adora. He didn't get another moment to think about it is he pulled glimmer aside to avoid being trampled by a stray startled horse. Glimmer was still emotionally frantic, and he wondered what had happened to her when they had split up to make her so distressed.

"It's okay well get through this somehow." Bow said comfortingly looking at glimmer, trying to find something to make his friends see the bright side in the situation.

At that moment She-ra tumbled on her side down the street, before darting straight up and lunging at whatever had tossed her. The sound of angry barks and howls echoing as She-Ra let out an angry scream and was punctuated by the sound of clashing metal.

Glimmer in nearly jumped a foot off of the ground seeing the angelic warrior and shouted to bow "Look! Adora!" Quickly teleporting after She-Ra.

Bow ran after her and as he turned the corner. The side that appeared before him was such a shock, he was taken aback by it all. A line of robots separated an open area in half on one end stood She-Ra sword ready to face her opponent, a Hordesmen with twin battle axes who looked ready to chop her up without mercy, along with a dark-haired stranger sitting upon a stranger vehicle watching the fight eagerly. On the other end of the wall of metal bodies stood Double Trouble and a young feral looking girl dressed in a red uniform of the Horde, and the stranger in the red hood all watched the newcomers as the appeared.

Glimmer let out a shout scream "Trouble, it's okay we'll save you!" she summoned up some magic ready to fight.

After defending herself from another blow from the axes wielder Adora looked at her friends and simply said "Guys." Before looking back at the trio being protected by the robots.

Glimmer looked at her cousin seeing her hand intertwined with the stranger's hand "Trouble?" She asked her cousin confused.

The axe wielder and the wild child let out laughs at the glittering haired Princess's reaction. The observing stranger seem to only smirked hungrily at Glimmer's distress.

Seeing how all the attention was now directed on her, Trouble wrapped her arms around the hooded stranger "So, you know how I found that letter." She squeezed his arm tighter " Well when I fond it, the massager was still there." She rested her head against his shoulder, though the hooded man seems to lean away from her slightly "He was very persuasive." A hand playfully pulled at the corner of the hood down "Right, Zeddy." Revealing the point eared Prince to the trio of heroes.

With an animalistic growl the golden eyed girl jumped and snapped up at Double Trouble "His names High Prince Zed!" Though her eyes glanced to Bow worryingly as if the older girls flirting had not been in the plan. A White Fang quickly trotted over and nuzzled her side to try to calm her down.

Kyle gave a vicious grin and shouted "Good one Princess!" to Allgera.

Zed said nothing, staring ahead coldly as if everything that was transpiring around him was the most boring thing in the world. Not even Trouble playing with his ear only giving the reaction of being mildly tedious at worse.

Bow shook his head, comprehending the person being squeezed off by trouble was the same person he had let walk away in the whispering Woods months ago. His scruffy long hair was now cut back and tamed and his features were a lot gaunt and angular with his eyes as cold as the metal men that were protecting him "Zed?" A part of him begging that it wasn't true.

The heir to the Horde said nothing, not even acknowledging that Bow had said anything. Simply shrugging off Trouble before moving to walk away, the robot troopers turning their back to the fight to escort him out of the way. Trouble and Allgera turning to follow him one more willing to follow Zed than the other.

Bow ran after the Horde Prince "Answer me!" He said fighting the pain in his chest. Something must've happened to Zed if he came back to Etheria

Kyle gritted his teeth and swung an ax at Bow in warning "Don't you shout at him! You rebel!" He let out a hiss kicking the other boy into a kneeling position "You have no right to be so familiar with him!"

Both Glimmer and Adora not willing to see their friend beaten up both rushed at Kyle ready to attack them of all their strength. The blond hair male seeming more then willing to take on the princesses in a fight then Bow.

A menacing voice made them stop in their tracks "Kyle! Stand down!" Zed looked over at the scene, staring at all of them menacingly. His's face was a snarl his exposed teeth showing the slight hint of a fang.

With a massive heave of his chest Kyle looked at Zed and then to Glimmer and the glowing visage of She-ra "No!" He stomped his foot like a child that denied a sweet treat "The She-ra! You promised!"

Zed simply shrugged his shoulders and gestured for the other teen to follow, clearly not compelled to give Kyle any reaction beyond that.

"We won't let you just leave!" Adora pointing her sword at Zed, she couldn't let the Horde Prince get away again. She knew that the fate of planet depended on it, and seeing his dead emotionless expression, she knew was the truth.

Glimmer was also ready to fight and defend Bow who hadn't picked himself off the ground and was refusing her help. She looked at her cousin, that she knew she shouldn't have trusted it was hard to believe that at one point they lived in the same Castle together like sisters. The Glittering Princess jumped feeling in arm a snake around her waist and pulled her away from her friends.

A sickly-sweet voice cooed "Oh Moonbeam, you're out numbered." The dark-haired male shoulders still draped in the blue hooded had sneaked up behind her "All this fighting would be such a chore." He softly whispered in her ears. "Why not give up so we can solve this in a more civil way." He looked into her eyes calmly.

The focus on Glimmer is the magic relaxed and waned as she stared up at him "Moonbeam?" She felt her head hurt as her cheeks felt hot is everybody seem to be staring at her.

Bow looked up at her with confusion, completely taken back by help Glimmer didn't initially scream at his touch. As Adora's conviction waned as the stranger who had been watching from afar had managed to sneak up and get so close to her friend.

Glimmer spun around in his arms and shot a magic blast right into his chest "That was only cute when I didn't know you where a part of the Horde!" She shouted as the young man tumbled back onto the ground "Also, what type of name is Romeo anyways!" She glared down at him with both anger and shame.  
Romeo was quick to his feet, a sad and almost disappointed expression on his face. He looked out to the group of people and then held out a hand to Glimmer as if silently asking for another dance.

Glimmer shook her head, it, but readying herself to attack him once again. She wasn't going to play around with the Horde soldier anymore.

The dark-haired boy is frown deepened as a small blaster slid from Romeo's sleeve and aimed it directly at the Princess of Brightmoon.

Zed gave a throaty chuckle seeing how the battle had turned into a bout of teenage drama "Actually Kyle, Romeo. Have at it, teach them a lesson." He gave a tooth grin, the robots that had been following turned around once more and began to approach the trio of heroes.

Romeo gave a resigned nod, as Kyle seemed to perk up at the order. Both of them having an eye on a particular open glaring at the two girls predatorily.

Bow's hands clenched into fists as he got to his feet "Zed! What the hell!" He quickly pulled out his bow and shot an arrow purposely missing, but getting close enough to get the princes attention "I thought." His eyes welled with tears "I thought!"

Zed looked at Bow fully, his eyes half lidded in confused. He stared intently at the archer as if acknowledging Bows presents for the first time. The stare made the ground at Bow's feet feel uneven as he met the Prince's gaze. Zed's eyes were shimmering with that ominous light that he had seen once before. When the Horde Prince promised and confessed things to Bow that he wished he could forget.

Trouble misinterpreting Zed's expression pulled him into a hug "Zeddy? What is he talking about?" She said dotingly.

Bow suppress the urge to bite his lip, all Zed needed to say is that they were friends and this fighting would stop. He knew that wouldn't be the case however, Adora and Glimmer would never let him go. All he could do was stare at Zed and hope he made the right choice.

The light from his eyes quickly vanished "I don't recognize him." Zed said absentmindedly before taking Trouble's and Allerga's hands before moving to head off out a sight.

Then the Prince with the two girls and toes continued to walk off as the robot troopers approached and with the two remaining attackers.

"Zed!" Bow screamed before giving a choke sob "You liar." He whispered. A tear rolled down his cheeks, when emotion fueled the small rivulets he didn't know.

-One Week Later-

"Please don't." Bow practically broke into tears in the middle of the hallway of Brightmoon Castle.

"What!" Adora spun around to look at him with anger and disgust "Bow you're crazy! We can't just let Zed run around without warning the other kingdoms." Her voice was harsh it was clear that it was the soldier and ancient warrior in her talking and not her friend that was willing to understand.

"I agree with Adora." Glimmers voice echoed the other girls disapproving tone "Whatever you see in Zed you can't forget that we all most died in Greenthatch!" She looked into his eyes fiercely as if trying to pump her anger into him "I don't care if you think Zed is a good person or not, Kyle and Romeo really wanted to kill us and he convinced Trouble to join in the Horde!"

Bow took a deep breath and said "Fine." He felt it was the right decision make dispite the mental struggle to do so. Adora had given up an entire other life in the Horde to do what was right and now Glimmer would have to fight a member of her own family when the time came. He couldn't drag his feet on doing what was right just because he managed to get on the heir of the Horde's good side.

The two princesses smiled at him any anger or worry that had creased their features now seem to be gone. It made him relieved that a simple word made them to forgive him so easily, sense after all. It was his choice that made the horde Prince a bigger danger then you probably were. Bow had practically given Zed the Crown of Knowledge, throwing away Bows chance to be the sole monarch over the entire planet and despite his guilt. He couldn't make himself admit that he had made the wrong choice.

"But at the next meeting." Bow said awkwardly "So, we have a better idea of what he's up to." Bow needed answers from Zed, and preferably a while he's free. If Bow was correct about the questions that were plaguing him then he would be forced to accept something about himself and how he was living his life that he wasn't ready for.

The girl's expression turned sour once again, and Bow worried that they weren't going to take him seriously.

The glittering haired Princess let out a long-exasperated huff "Fine but next meeting we have to tell them." Glimmer relented giving him an exasperated look.

Bow nodded, giving his two friends a hug before they headed in to meet with the rest of the Princess Princess alliance. He felt relieved that he had delayed announcing Zed's presence to the rest of his friends, even though they were all waiting for them expectantly in the meeting room.

Queen Angella stood up watching the trio of heroes went to take their seats at the table "There you three are, I was going to send someone to find you." She asked, looking at her daughter with a wary expression

"We're fine mom, so what's the plan." Glimmer said matter-of-factly, as if the betrayal of her cousin in the conversation outside the door a few minutes ago never happened.

"I need your help." Frosta said almost sheepishly.

Queen of Brightmoon shook her head "Now Frosta." She gave the youngest Princess of the alliance a sympathetic look "I don't think you shouldn't be worried about a silly myth."

With clenched fists Frosta is stood up "It not a myth! I swear The Ghost is in my kingdom and I am sure it's targeting me."

"That's a Ghost?" Adora asked rather confused.

"A silly urban legend." Glimmer said almost embarrassed that she had to say anything "It an angry spirt that destroys flora and makes the weak and sickly animals and people disappear."

Spinnerella resting her chin in her hands, said "The Kingdom of Snows food supplies got tainted and now Frosta thinks The Ghost is going to get her." The wind Princess pursed her lips at the thought

"It's not just that!" Frosta shook her head annoyed a at everyone's dismissive behavior "I have a meeting with Mortella, she's willing to replenish my kingdoms food supply." The ice Princess looked down at the table "She been trying to get an audience with me since I took the throne anyway."

"No." Perfuma nearly shrieked "Listen Frosta, I'll happily share some of my kingdoms food with you."

"I'm sure we would all be willing to help with that." Agella's looked around her expression had turned one from my motherly sympathy to one of great concern for Frosta's decision.

"No! I don't need your guys charity." Frosted then turned her head to Adora, Glimmer, and Bow "Though I'd like Adora and other's to be there in case Mortella tries something." It was clear that the young princess had learned her lesson about accepting dangerous people and to her castle after the Horde attack at the Princess prom.

Adora oblivious to everybody else's change mood. She said "No problem I'm sure Mortella, who ever she is will behave with She-Ra nearby."

* * *

The soldiers marched on through the snow in matte grey armor, each towering figure unfazed by the snow. They we're twelve of them each moving in two lines of six pulling a luxurious rickshaw through the snow. The flickering light of the land turn emanating from under the snow covered top.

Adora look to her friends on either side of her as they watched the incoming procession from a window "Is it too late to ask who Mortella is?" The mysterious woman provided protections for communities that would rather not accept aid from princesses, but she hadn't really put into much thought of how someone would do that without a runestone.

The three around her, gave her long the credulous stairs. It made her feel self-conscious as if they were expecting her to ask the question sooner.

Glimmer was the one to break the silent shaming and explained "She is a powerful sorceress, was considered one of the most promising sorceresses in Mystacor. Until she broke the rules and got herself banished."

Reflexively Adora squeezed her eyes shut and then looked down to the youngest member of the Princess alliance "Are you sure about this Frosta?" She couldn't shake the memory of Shadow Weaver at the description of the other sorceress "It's not too late to turn her away at the gates."

The ice Princess shook her head "No, Mortella offers protection to a large amount of independent farming communities. She controls the trade routes for those areas as well." She then looked up to one of the guards and said "Let her in!"

The group quickly went to the entryway as the ashen grey suits of armor moved to either side of the rickshaw waiting for orders. The light under the covering shifted as a form of emerged from the cart, with slow pained movements.

Draped and loose and thin rags the girl's eyes gleamed the deep color of lapis as her wheat colored hair dangled in matted locks around her shoulders. She held a large lantern in which a large flame swirled inside, turning the glass that held a captive a brilliant orange. The blonde-haired girl was so small and frail looking it was hard for the group around her to discern her age seven or eight years that most.

Adora looked at the girl, unnerved by how similar she was to herself when she was younger "Mortella?" She asked slightly confused.

The girl's eyes got wider as she shook, clearly looking for something as her tiny fingers gripped the handle of the lantern tighter. The child seeming truly terrified by the mention of the sorceress's name.

From behind the small girl another figure emerged tall with a tight-fitting green dress, leaving nothing about the woman's body to the imagination. A youthful face with full rosy lips were framed by an extravagant headpiece that blended in with the collar of her dress "Ah! Frosta forgive my assistant Krystala, she is quite dim." Long manicured fingers scratched the blonde girl's hair a little to roughly making the girl flinch "Do you happen to have a furnace or a fire pit in your castle? You see, I'm studying a particular type of fire and I don't trust my assistant to carry it around all day." She gave a girlish giggle.

Adora and Glimmer looked between the imposing sorceress and her ragged assistant, unsure if it was appropriate to introduce themselves since they were only there to be extra on muscle when the negotiations went south. On the other hand, Bow was a lot more brazen and patted one to the solider in the grey armor his hand becoming to covering in soot as the knight remaining motionless.

"Yes, this way." Frosta simply nodded and turned lead the visitors into the castle parlor where a fire was already roaring.

Krystala moved to the fire place like a rabbit being chased by a fox, quickly opening up the land turn moving the flames within into the fireplace. The magical fire is brilliant orange glow becoming red as it overpowered the original source of heat in the fireplace.

The sorceress entered the room, along with everyone else, her silent soldiers moving to stand alongside Frosta's Castle guards "Not to start, I have the deepest sympathy for you and your current plight. I honestly wish we had gotten to know each other before your dire situation." Mortella settled down into a seat giving the Princess a wide grin.

"I'm sure you would." The young princess said almost sarcastically, her eyes drifting to Krytala who was diligently tending to the fireplace. Then gave a dismissive shrugged, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary for a servant to be watching a burning fire like their life depended on it.

Adora couldn't help but feel her heartstrings pulled by the young girl's condition. She tried to stop herself from doing anything drastic, especially while the conversation between Frosta and the sorceress had just started. She tried to just defy her feelings, saying that she was simply projecting her past on to Krystala due to how similar they looked. Though she knew once everything was settled, she would address her concerns with Glimmer and make sure that her mind wasn't over exaggerating things.

The sorceress placed her fingers together and put her hands in her lap, saying "You see, this kingdom is rather large and the communities that I help protect are very stubborn and mercantilist at heart." Her girlish grin becoming something more calculated "They are not the charitable sort, especially during this tumultuous time."

Not falling for her act, the ice Princess said simply "What's your price?"

Mortella tilted her head slightly, giving an amused laugh "Why aren't you forward!" Then narrowed her eyes at Frosta "Well you see the Kingdom of Snows, ice melts into the Green River." The sorceress gave a dismissive wave "I need you for at least a year to prevent the ice from melting and dry up the Green River."

Glimmer shook her head "What? Why would you ever want to do that?" Then bit her tongue as the sorceress gave her a steely glare, a silent warning that the Brightman Princess wasn't welcome in the conversation.

"Do to the necessity of keeping the farming communities up, especially for situations that have just befallen you. I intend to create a damn and divert The Green River's water into places where it would be more useful." Mortella answered the question as if Frosta was the one who asked the question.

"You can't do that!" Bow blurted out, his eyes widening as he realized he was interjecting where he shouldn't belong.

This time Mortella was not so calm and spun "Excuse me?" She asked, examining the Bow clearly displeased with what she saw.

Bow swallowed and knew he had to state his case "The Green River flows into the Sand Valley, the Kingdom of Highpoint relies on the Green River for their own our agriculture and irrigation." He inwardly flinched, imagining the devastation if the sorceress's request was fulfilled "It would be disastrous for them!"

"Bow quiet!" Frosted hissed "You're an adventure, not a politician! Don't get yourself involved!"

Red faced Bow gave a curt nod he began to walk off making himself look busy, as far as he possibly could from the Princess. He knew he shouldn't have interjected, but it hurt him more that Frosta could talk to him like that and neither Glimmer or Adora of came to his aid.

With a satisfied grin Mortella said "I wouldn't worry about the Kingdom of Highpoint; their land contains many of oasis and Hot Springs along with other valuable resources that the loss of the river wouldn't be immediately damaging." Then with a lazy wall of her eyes leaned back in the chair she was sitting in "And of course, I plan of the dam to have a runoff to allow some of the water to continue on its natural path."

Face scrunched up in contemplation Frosta asked "Dose Highpoint know of your plan?" Sinking back in her chair, slightly.

"Of course not, this agreement would just between your kingdom and me." The sorceress gave a sharp half, as if she was disappointed that she had to answer the question "On the other hand, if you would prefer to get your supplies from the Sand Valley, Prince Norb is about your age, give or take a few years." She gave a mischievous grin "Perhaps I can set up a meeting up between you two, it's been a long time since Etheria had seen two kingdoms joined in a marriage alliance."

There was an awkward silence that stretched in the room Krystala had patted off somewhere, presumably to look for more fuel for the fire. Bow as well had completely disappeared while Glimmer and Adora looked at each other awkwardly. Surely the sorceress was just teasing, but it was an option to delay war if Frosta decided to hold the melting of the ice.

With a sharp huff of breath Frosta of stood up from her chair and announced "I think we should take a break, we'll continue this discussion in an hour." Then quickly moved down one of the halls.

Not giving a second pause Adora and Glimmer where right beside her "Frosta listen, you can't agree to Mortella's request." Adora pleaded her voice low "Please let Glimmer and the rest of the Princess Alliance share their food with you."

"No." Frosta snapped at the blonde warrior.

Glimmer growled and shook her head "Stop being so stubborn! If you agree to stop feeding the Green River water, Sand Valley will dry up and then the kingdom of Highpoint will figure out in the declare war on you." The Princess of Brightmoon opened her mouth to say more but was immediately cut off by the loud sound of snapping.

The icy floor of the castle snapped and cracked as a wall of ice sprouted between Frosta and the other two princesses "I'm more then capable of making my own choices!" The ice princess screamed and stomped off into a nearby room.

The room is dark and clearly not heated, but the youngest member of the Princess Alliance was grateful for that. She finally felt separated from the situation just enough to think, I was clear that the sorceress was just trying to manipulate her thinking her as nothing more of a child. That made her angry, though that was to be expected Mortella was known for her lack of subtlety along with her short temper. What made her blood boil more ways her friends trying to interject their opinions into her negotiation as if she wasn't aware of the consequences of drying up the river. Her rage and mixed in with the guilty sting of that had happened at Princess Prom, after the panic had settled down delegates from many kingdoms approached her privately or send letters berating her with their displeasure at how the situation was handled. She felt as if as long as she was in charge of the Kingdom of Snows all other kingdom would take her quite as seriously ever again.

"Such a bad girl." A sing song voice echoed in the dark chamber "You were not ready to be queen." The voice sounded like it was trying to comfort her, but also stating a bitter fact "You're wasting your life making such poor, poor choices."

It was clear to Frosta that there was another presence in the room with her. She in the back of her mind that it couldn't be the ghost but, when she told her guards about the voice, they would never be able to find any intruders. It became so much for her to help and the fear of suddenly disappearing made her steel her composer against talking to the voice.

"Go away!" Now filled with so many negative emotions her composter finally broke "I'm not weak! You can't take me!" Thrusting her out sending icicles into the shadows of the room.

The sound of such a shriek erupted from the darkness along with the crashing sound and hollowed thuds as the projectiles hit something. Then moving with unnatural speed into many feet to be human. A shadow darted out of the darkness in crashed through the door, skidding down the hall and quickly out of sight.

Frosta moved to chase after the shadow, desiring nothing more than to make it pay for the torture she was put through. However, she stopped in her tracks as her boot brushed up against something small and golden. Picking it up she noticed that it was a small golden medallion tied by a a now broken leather strap "This is." She examined the golden disc farther and noticing the inscription of a sea shell encircled by vines of different types of plants "The Green Islands crest?" She said, recognizing the symbol, though, confuse on how a token of the island kingdom got into the Castle of Snows.

Meanwhile Bow was trying make himself get lost with the castle of ice, he so desperately wanted to disappear and return with none of the feelings that where swirling like a storm in his heart and mind. Why wouldn't any of the princesses take him seriously when it came to big decisions, surly he wasn't so dumb that everything he said didn't have merit. He slumped against the frozen castle wall, unable to stop the thoughts that creeped into his consciousness choking his opinions of his friends. He let his mind wandered to what today would of been like if he had taken the Crown of Knowledge for himself like Zed had intended for him to do and what he wanted from an early age. According to legend that surrounded the crown and with the Horde Prince had told him about being related to Jared the first King of Etheria, Bow would have been royalty. Certainly, he didn't want to claim the entire planet for himself and destroy the lives of all his Princess friends whose lives revolved around the runestones, but the more he opened his eyes to the negative parts of the world around him, the more tempting the offer he rejected truly was.

He shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands, unable to come to terms with the thoughts he was that had slipped into his mind. What happened to the version of himself that only wanted to see his friends happy and be a hero more than anything else. In some ways he still desired to be the hero but Zed's words and actions on their short little adventure had twisted his views on who he thought might be the villains. It made his heart feel like it was going to split in two as to completely different versions of him hold struggled for control, the him that wanted to go back to being a friend to the princesses and an ally for the rebellion and the version of himself that no longer wanted to be blind to how royalty truly treated people like himself.

"About five years." A tiny fragile little voice pulled Bow out of his downward spiral.

"Hu?" He said reflexively moving closer to the sound of the voice, stopping when he saw the shadow of Krystala blanketing the floor.

There was a bright light, brighter than any fire Bow had seen of securing the small girl and who ever she was talking to and he struggled to hear what the small girl was saying. "A long time? I'm supposed to work for Mortella a year for every minute she saved my father from the Horde." The girl whispered each word seeming to be a great struggle for her to say "How long? She fought for two hours, I'll never be free."

Bow flinched had the girl been working for the sorceress and she was five years old, or was she older than she looked and had been working as a slave for five long years? He clenched his fist unable to comprehend why a such a fate had fallen upon her. Was it for the fact that her family came from an independent village that preferred to be governed by their own rules then those of a royal family? He knew that might've been the case, when it came to the battle against the Evil horde Villages that hadn't sworn loyalty to a kingdom were always left the last on the list to be protected.

"Magic? I'm not sure." The shadow of Krystala shook her head "Would I like to but, she hurts me went I try." There was a shakiness to her words "Hum? All the time but it hurts less when the fire is out."

Bow struggle to strain to hear who the small girl was talking to and stay hidden in case the small girl would become frightened and run off in fear of him telling Mortella what she had said. The voice that was talking to her was low and soothing and unmistakably male, but beyond that he couldn't make out a word the outsider was saying.

There was a sharp inhale from the girl "No! She would kill me if I did that." Bow watched the girl's shadow disappear as the light grew stronger "Protect me? The ghost will okay…" Krystala let out a whimper "Not the ghost? Well, we'll see, please don't be lying to me." At her words the light was snuffed out, leaving the hall way feeling dark in its absence.

Bow taking a risk looked down the hall, seeing the frail girls standing there looking up as if she was still talking to somebody taller than her. He worried for her, wondering what the stranger with the bright light had told her to do if was going to get her hurt he wanted to stop that from happening.

Krystala made a convulsing movement and then looked behind her and stared directly at Bow. She watched him like a rodent that had finally noticed it was being stalked by a cat. Then with a stiffed pained movement, she raised her finger to her lips. She let a moment pass as if evaluating if Bow understood the signal before heading down the hallway.

A tremor shook through Bow's chest the conflicted sides of himself striking at each other like battling serpents. His shoulders slumped as he relented and turned away, moving in the opposite path as Krystala heading back to the parlor to join his friends.

Mortella was lounging in her seat, clearly not moving from the place since the break was called. "So, are you ready to make your decision, and negotiate." The sorceress gave the Frosta a dismissive look.

The ice Princess sat up on her seat and looked the sorceress dead on "Yes." Then gave a small smile "Not with you. However."

The nonchalant look in the sorceress's face morphed into shock at her words "What? Frosta, I don't understand."

Frosta looked down at the medallion she had picked up "I cannot risk other kingdoms safety for such a simply problem, I will look for somebody else who can give me a better offer." Her gloves from rubbed against the engraving, then spoke to Mortella with a sly tone "I'm sure your capitalistic minded farmers would understand."

Mortella looked at the small princess, the sorceress's knights how had been still as statues had suddenly took a hostile stance besides Frosta's guards "Surly we can come to some sort of agreement." The fire besides the sorceress grew licking bright red tongues of flames trying to escaped the fire place.

Glimmer readied to send a magical blast at the nearest knight if thing escalated anymore. Adora and Bow readied their weapon's as Frosta and Mortella stared at each other with calculating expression. There was no mistaking that the talks where now over and a high stung tension was prelude to whoever made the next move.

A shadow stretched crossed the floor as the sound timid footsteps echoed in the parlor room. Everyone frozen in place, unable to move because of the standoff turned their eyes to see Krystala helpful in carrying a massive bucket of water close to her chest. She shivered, clearly getting hit the overflow from the bucket the girl's dark blue eyes watering as she made her way to the fireplace.

The sorceress clenched her fist against the fabric of her seat and said "Krystala!" She watches the small girl stumbled, but cleaned to the bucket of water with her life "What are you doing?" The harshness and the voice made it clear that it was an order instead of a question.

Adora gritted her teeth to stop herself from making a drastic move forcing herself to watch her tiny look-alike glanced around the room. Then slowly, as if the girls limbs were being moved by a force by some unseen entity, she took a single step in through the bucket of water into the fireplace.

A nauseous cloud of steam and so it swirled around the parlor room as Mortella stood up with a a scream. In the darkening room it was clear that the sorceress skin was losing its youthful glow as it shrinks and wrinkled against her bones. Her lips thinned as her cheeks turned bony making her angry expression turned into something malevolent. Around the room the imposing knights readying to strike collapsed into sopping plies of ash.

"You little brat!" The sorceress screamed slapping small child across the face, bright orange sparks of magic, skidding across were long bony fingers had made contact with girl's skin.

Krystala tumbled to the floor her body curling into a sobbing bundle. A mere breath later guards were at Mortella's side restraining the sorceress, who put up a very feeble struggle against them.

Frosta got up from her seat and looked the sorceress in her face "Mortella! You are being detain for crimes against the Kingdom of Snows!" She said with authority as the sorceress scowled at her.

Before the ice Princess could say another word, another group of guards entered the parlor restraining Allerga as she thrashed and snarled like a wild beast in their grasp.

"You're Highness, we found this trespasser." A guard said before moving their hand away from the Golden eyed girl as she tried to bite it.

"Her!" Adora bristled seeing the wild child, having both the golden eyed girl and Krystala in the same room she started to feel a knot forming in her stomach.  
Glimmer on the other hand, stood up straighter and with a smirk said "I guess we found the source of your ghost problem."

Fosta turning her attention away from the sorceress looked at the feral girl "How did you get in here?" She moved closer, examining Allerga with confusion.

Allerga's eyes went from Frosta's face to the medallion that was in her hand "That mine." She let out a gruff of bark as she tried to lunge for it, but couldn't break free from the guards.

Reflexively, the ice Princess held the golden trinket against her chest "No way the person this belongs to is, long gone." She said sadly.

Allerga snarled, as an inhuman grumble filled her throat. Though the act of aggression was short lived as the Princess of the Green Islands eyes fell to the icy floor.

"Get your hands off her she's mine!" Mortella's voice screamed as a guard began to pick up a motionless Krystala.

"Sorry, it's clear that you've been mistreat her and I can't stand for that." The guard said holding a seemingly catatonic Krystala in their arms.

The sorceress then turned to Forsta and hissed "Forsta, is this how you treat your guest, by stealing away their charges." She narrowed her eyes at the small Princess "She is from a land that does not accept the laws of monarchy, and they will be furious when I tell them you just took her away."

Frost of flinched, because the sorceress was right. While she had the power to lock Mortella up for a decent amount of time for threatening harm to her and conspiring a plan that could harm another kingdom. She however could not help Krsytala without destroying the rest of her reputation as a ruler, more so since the small girl was not a citizen of the Kingdom of snows, she would have to be put on trials for the same crimes as the sorceress. "Put her down." Frosted told the guard reluctantly.

However, the court did not listen seeming to move at a comfortable pace out of the room.

"I command you to put her down!" Frosta raised her voice, though the guards seem to be blatantly ignoring her.

Before the ice Princess could call her guards to seize the one that was walking off with Kystala. The feral child let out a sharp howl that seemed to echo his other barks and howls joined in the route the Castle of snows. The guard holding Krystala hearing the sound quickly disappeared down the hall as Allerga threw off the guards that were restraining her and ran off in the same direction.

"By the honor of Grayskull!" Adora quickly turned into She-ra as she gave chase after them. Her friends and castle guards close behind her as they tried to catch the Horde solider and the kidnapper before they escaped.

In a matter of seconds, the group had separated, as every foot sept echoed and shadows warped in the Castle of Snows. One by one each of them had disappeared off in their own paths believing their own would lead them to the two culprits.

Meanwhile, Krystala was set back down on the icy floor shivering as she looked up at the garden confusion "What's going on?" Thing gasped as the size and shape of the guard morphed in front of her eyes.

"Sorry kido." Double Trouble is said as she took the heavy furred coat of the Royal guard she was wearing and draped it over the blue-eyed girl "You're going to need the coat more then me." She said tightening it around Krystala's waist "Find a door out of here and run as fast you can." Then with narrowed eyes the shape shifter looked over her shoulder and muttered a curse under her breath.

A few feet away glowing like a candle was She-ra her face stern "Don't listen to her, Krystala I know Mortella has been awful to you. Though if you trust Trouble you will be kidnapped by allot worse people." He tried to speak to her smaller look-alike.

The girl shook her head, taking a few steps away from both of them "No Mortella is the worst!" She touched her cheek which was an angry red from where the sorceress had slapped her.

Trouble smiled and nodded, and positioned herself between the girl and the glowing warrior "That right! Mortella was an awful woman who made you a slave because you want to save your father and his village." She watched the small girl who swayed back and forth with confusion "Now all you want to be is free and make your own choice and big bad She-Ra is going to take that choice away."

"Don't lie to her!" Adora snapped readying her sword to strike.

"Really, you took the young empress's choice away." Then in a voice that was in near perfect pitch to Adora mocked "Oh, Frosta don't think about the safety of your people think about a kingdom a thousand miles away you might hurt." Trouble. Let out a soft you go as her voice returned to her own "That was really selfish, honestly, I'm more disappointed in Glimmer for being such a hypocrite and agreeing with you."

Muscles fueled by rage the glowing warrior swung the sword of protection through the air "Shut up!" She-Ra hissed through gritted teeth, striking with all intention to harm the shape shifter.

Moving as agile as a fairy Trouble avoided this strike with a big smirk on her face "Tsk tsk, you shouldn't be so violent around a little girl." She gave a mischievous leer at her opponent "That solve this by playing tag." Then barely taking a breath, Trouble and jumped through the air and flipped over the glowing warrior "You're it!" She touched the top of She-Ra's head before landing on her feet and bolting down the hall way in the opposite direction.

She-Ra chased after Trouble not giving Krystala a second thought, more intent from making the other girl pay for what she said about her friends than anything else. "She went that way!" She said seeing Glimmer, Frosta and the other as she turned to corner after Trouble.

Though when the group converged on the hallway trouble went down, it was a completely empty dead end.

"Where'd she go?" Frosta asked only catching a glimpse of the emerald eyed shape shift her.

The hero searched the dead and coming up with no trace, nothing more than locked doors and a small narrow air event by the floor that had its grating ripped open.

"No way. She fitted in there?" Bow said astonished, looking down into the square events no bigger than his hand.

"She's a shape shifter of course she did!" Glimmer said angrily her fist clenching, as she stared at the tiny event.

The four heroes stared at each other before a loud female scream ripped through the air.

"Krystala!" Adora said with identity was so worldwide, realizing she had left the small girl alone and they had yet to find the other castle intruder.

They bolted for the sound of the screams which led them all the way to the castle gates which were formed open and flooding in snow from a recently started a blizzard. On the floor in front of the door was the sorceress feebly gripping her legs as the green fabric around it turned a coppery brown as she tried to hide the wound underneath.

Frosta gasped "Mortella!"

"That feral monstrosity, siced her beasts on me!" The sorceress stared out into the raging wall of snow beyond the castle gate.

Adora stared out into the blizzard and saw the outline of Krystala and the feral girl from the Horde walking down the mountain through the snow. Even powered up as She-Ra she seemed frozen in place see their figures obscured by the snow made her feel like she was staring into a memory than a dire situation.

"Bow wait!" Glimmers voice jarred her out of her trance, but it was too late Bow had already ran out into the snow after the two girls. A strong gust of wind swirling around them and slamming the door shut behind him.

Bow moved as fast as he could do the ice his body instantly screaming at him for his poor choice. It was so cold in the blizzard made him snow blind. He wasn't sure where he was going or what he was supposed to do. All he knew was that he had to find those two girls before they disappeared again for they were his only lead to figuring out what had happened to Zed. He covered his midriff to his arms as if he had punched himself for thinking about the Horde Prince once again.

A light caught his eye, not the same blinding light that had surrounded him, but a more soothing glow stronger than a candle by it, not as commanding as a fire. Left with little other choices moved to lights and saw three figures that he recognized all too well. Krystala, Allerga, and a tall imposing figure in crimson red armor.

It was the Horde Prince and he was using the Crown of Knowledge.

Zed kneeled down in front of Krystala that was formed was still so massive he had to strain his covered head down even more to see her "Let me see." He took the small girl's face in his hand, examining the red marks on her cheek.

Bow was quietly as he could, through thick snow lingered on the edge of Zed's light as he watched. Even though the radius of the crown's power made him feel like he wasn't freezing Bow seemed still so cold that he would be able to raise a weapon against him.

Zed released the small blonde and said "These burns will not be permanent, let them be a badge of your freedom as they fade away." Then stood back to his full height dwarfing the two girls.

"Will you teach me magic?" Krystala's question was almost a plea.

The Horde Prince shook his head and said "No. But I'll find you someone who can."

Krystala is shivered as if not being able to feel the same warmth, Bow was and nodded, retreating more into the gigantic coat.

Allerga to cold the other girl's hand and smiled "Come on let's get inside the Air Cutter it's warmer in there." Any sign of her beastly nature that she had displayed in the castle appeared, long gone.

Bow watched the two girls disappear into the blinding snow before noticing that Zed was turning away, the massive red armor noticeable against the white "Zed!" He called out his heart pounding, whether, if it was from the cold or something else, he didn't want to think about it.

Zed masked face turned to him, but the rest of his body stood as still as a statue. The warmth that had been just enough to stop Bow from breaking into a sweat now crushed around him like a summer sun against the icy world

Despite the sudden shift in temperature around him Bow stood his ground "Zed answer me!"

Zed remained motionless the terrifying mask that made up the faceplate of his armor hiding in the expression, the other young man might be having.

"What are you doing? I need you to talk to me?" Bow so desperately wanted him to respond to say anything.

Though Zed still refused to say anything, and it made his chest clench.

Blinking back tears Bow that out a plea "Please Zed, were friends. Aren't we?"

"Mo ghile mear." The sound of Zed's voice muttering those three words was like a clean incision right through Bow's heart. Quick, clean, but I mistakenly painful to hear.

"Zed I don't want to hurt you. Though everyone else will, I can feel that you're not here for the same reasons like the first time we met." He said quickly, trying to keep whatever remnant of Zed that recognized him there "Are you going to take over the world with Hordak! You don't have to do that!" He continued to letting out a heartfelt plea "Let me help you!" Then bit his tongue, not knowing how the other teen would interpret that.

Straightening up Zed held out his hand and a crackling cloud of red lightning formed between his armored fingertips the lightning converging to create a physical shape. Then with a fluid movement he tossed the object to Bow.

Instinctually Bow caught it, realizing the object is now giving off its own intense warm glow in his hand. Despite the heat, the object wasn't painful "What is this?" He looked at him, the object it looked like a nest of the woven gold and several dark red gems, they looked familiar. Though he couldn't pinpoint where he had seen that color red before.

Bow looked up and he's noticed Zed standing in front of him. So close. All he would be to do was inhale to be brushing up against the Scarlet armor. Bow clenched the object that he was given in his hands as he looked up and down Zed's armored form and not knowing where to look.

"Find me again, Mo ghile mear." Then at his statement late from Zed faded and the other boy completely disappeared as if he had not been standing in the snow at all.

* * *

Glimmer, Adora and Bow all stared at each other in front of the door of the Princess alliance meeting room. Each of them having their own expression of anxiety and apprehension on their face, the tension between them was broken as Bow wrapped his arm between his two friends and pulled them into a hug.

Then they entered the room together.

"What's wrong?" Mermista was the first to say what was on everyone's mind.

"You called an emergency meeting. What ever it is, it must be serious." Spinneralla looked at three worry creasing her round face.

Bow took a deep breath and cleared his mind knowing exactly what he needed to say in order to make things right "Everyone for many years now the Horde has been destroying lives in a slow and brutal takeover of our planet." He looked at the room which was completely filled with females besides a couple guards "While we can cannot deny the urgency to stop Hordak and his soldiers as soon as possible, a more pressing matter has befallen us."

"How can there be anything more urgent then stopping him." Adora said have surprised that she would ever say something was more important than stopping Hordak

"By tracking down a major political figure in the Horde." Glimmer said the most serious expression, she can muster "High Prince Zed."

"Wait, I thought it, the Horde was anti-Princess. Why would they say that in their propaganda if they have a Prince?" Frosta realizing how strange it was for the Horde to do such a thing.

"To stop a political marriage." Netossa said matter-of-factly, as if it was the only answer that made sense "The Horde is a civilization of war hungry tyrants. I'm sure the current ruler would be mad if the thought got into their son's head that all his problems can be solved if you just put the ring on someone."

"So, were going to do what? Kill him? That surely will send the message that we're not going to take the Horde being on Etheria anymore." Mermista said, giving no sign that she was being sarcastic or over exaggerating.

Bow shook his head "No, we can't do that!" Then he shrank away slightly seeing how all the princess's eyes were now on him.

"Certainly." Queen Angella agreed it was his statement "It is clear that we must find this point put him on trial for the crimes the horde has done to us and then we'll use him as leverage. So, the Evil Horde will leave our planet."

Bow nodded, surprising to hear the Queen of Brightman speak aloud the thoughts he had once had. Though it made him feel sick that he now for some reason no longer agreed with them. Just because Zed was on the top of food chain when it came to the Evil Horde, had really done anything wrong that we deserve him to be put on trial. The black market in Green Thatch was illegal and herded both sides of the war in the long run, he also helped free Krystala when Frosta couldn't. There was also no proof that Zed was really doing anything to help Hordak in taking over the planet.

"Where is he though? Are we going have to sneak back in the Fright Zone again?" Perfuma said clearly troubled by the thought of returning to the center of Horde operations.

Glimmer shook her head with a big smile "No. Show them that device you found Bow."

Bow called out to the artifact it had long since lost its glow but he could still feel its warmth underneath its jewel encrusted casing. He said it in front of the table that was giving off a pink holographic projection of the areas in the Princess alliance is control and then doubtfully moved his fingers are crossed the red gems. The gems in the artifact began to glow a vibrant Crimson as the holographic projection began to shift and change to match its color showing a series of islands in the middle of an ocean, each emblazoned with the horde insignia.

"Wait that's?" Glimmer is stared at the islands, unsure if what she was saying was true.

"Beast Island." Queen Angella looked the largest island formation with a deep scowl.

_**(AN: Here's a long chapter to make up for the wait. I had to rewrite this chapter in order to not clash with some information I learned about what's going to be in season two. I think it turned out really well and it will create an interesting subplot for Adora later on. If you have any thoughts, recommendations or theories on my fanfiction. Please leave a review or PM me since I'm always up for conversation.)**_


	4. Chapter 3

Battle of Beast Island

Glimmer and Adora watched as Bow pulled the sixth and final trunk up the Princess of Bright Moon's window and into the center of her room. The two girls had watched him for about 15 minutes as he brought several crates and boxes in too Glimmers room with varying degrees of care. Then with a massive sigh, he hopped on one of the crates and looked at the two girls sheepishly. As if he was expecting what to come next to be embarrassing or at least uncomfortable for him.

With a painful look Adora swallowed and said "So, what did you want to talk about? Mermista and Sea Hawk are waiting for us by the docks." She looked at embarrassed at Bow and then to Glimmer who had an expression of pain at watching Bow bring in all the junk into her room. "Also, what's with all these boxes?"

Bow looked around the room, not making eye contact with his two friends "I've been thinking about Zed, and I wanted to be completely honest with you about what happened when he got away." He flinched as he said it, knowing that they had been dancing around telling Queen Angella what had happened and that the Crown of Knowledge was ever involved.

The two girls tensed up slightly, clearly thinking that Bow had been truthful to them and this whole time and that there really wasn't nothing to be explained. Their faces flashed from anger to concern then to confusion as they silently thought about what he said, then gestured him to keep talking, knowing that they didn't have forever for the boy to tell his story.

Bow scratched the back of his hair "You see, we kind of made a deal." He tried to find the best words to explain the choice that had given him between the two woven boxes "He was going to escape either was but he made a deal with me." He repeated himself as if trying to find an excuse for the choice he had made.

"You let him get away!" A fire of betrayal sparked in Glimmer's chest, in the whispering Woods. She had honestly thought that Bow had made an honest attempt to catch the Horde Prince and that the other boy was just too crafty for him. It made her feel something, not just angry, but also in rejection that Bow had not told her the full truth.

"Listen, to me please!" Bow snapped back at her before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "So, he gave me choice either I took the crown or took a box that happen to have blueprints." He then looked down at the crates and boxes that he had brought into Glimmer's room.

Glimmer's face turned red as she got up from where she was sitting and looked at Bow in the face "Why didn't you take the crown!" Her eyes glistened with tears as she screamed at him with fury, behaving more like he had harmed someone close to her. "We could have locked up so someone like him couldn't take it again!" She slammed her hand on the crate he was sitting on for emphasis "You shouldn't have been tempted by anything Bow, anything at all!" Glimmer stopped her screaming Adora had put a hand on her shoulder, making her pull back from him.

It felt like he had been slapped, the Princess was right and he couldn't deny it without being foolish. "I thought he wouldn't comeback." He adverted his eyes to the ground, knowing he had lied. The truth was he had trusted Zed, and still trust his promise that the rest of the horde didn't know about the prince's adventure with him or the Crown of Knowledge. "It's not just that he wanted me to take the crown to, he said that I was related to King Jared." He braced himself for something, for what he didn't know, it was one thing for Glimmer to be mad that he had handed over the crown. Though he didn't know how she would feel about being related to the man who ruled over the entire planet as a monarch.

Adora rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh "That's not how First One's tech works Bow, you got played." She said sadly, clearly disappointed that Bow had been tricked.

Bow blinked, curious when the blonde girl had become more of an expert of the ancient technology, then he was, after all of the Crown of knowledge is anything like the stone on the Sword of Protection or any other runestone. Surely, he would be able to use the crown if he was related to the first King, but instead of that he muttered a "What?" unable to say more, Glimmer's screaming destroying any will to argue with them.

Glimmer is angry expression turned to disappointment and sadness for Bow "He probably tried to tempt to was something to grand that you rejected it so he could get away with the crown." She thought about it and started to feel sad, imagining the situation for self "You're not the type of person who wanted to be royalty anyways, you're too simple for that Bow."

"Simple, uh." Bow whispered, only if his friends knew how tempting it had been to use the crown the times it had been offered to him. If he wasn't so worried about hurting his friends' feelings, and the political upheaval of the world finding out that the Crown of Knowledge had been discovered. Bow would've taken that crown and use it even with all the messy strings attached to it.

Adore and noticing that this conversation had obviously not gone how he expected she asked "So, what's in all those boxes?" Still somewhat curious what could be in so many crates.

"In exchange for not taking the crown Zed gave me a lot of schemata, as well as blueprints." Bow said trying to hide his irritation that he had to repeat himself. "All these boxes are filled with the things I was able to make with them."

The two girls blinked and then shoved Bow off the boxes as they began to open the crates, examining their contents. Each of them making shocked and delight noses as the rifled deeper through the boxes' s contents

Glimmer looked a Bow her eyes sparkling "You made all these!" She said clearly proud of him her pervious angry expression nowhere to be seen on her face.

"Bow where these grenades, these are care clearly some type of explosive?" Adora held up a metal lined container of a glowing green substance.

Bow smiled happy to see that, even for a brief moment that his friends had forgiven him "The blueprints laid out components of things not entire weapons so I kind of just mixed and matched things keeping what worked."

"Were going to put these in the armory right away! Once Zed is taken care of the stuff might be super useful against Hordak." Glimmer said before picking up a small box and rushing down the hall.

Adora was quick to follow, picking up sizable he larger crate, with a smaller one on top of it heading out of the room after Glimmer.

Working together, it only took a few minutes for the three to get all the boxes out of the glittering haired Princess's room and into the closet that was still being used as an armory. They had no time to take everything out of the boxes or organize them, knowing that there were two friends eagerly awaiting them by the docks.

Though as the armory the candidate be filled more and more by the crates, the quieter. Bow appeared to become "Hold on! That's not a weapon. It's my violin case, I'll meet you guys at the docks." Bow practically jumped when there was only one small rectangular box left in Glimmer's room. Picking it up and almost jumping out the window with a small box.

Glimmer blinked at Bow's sudden exit "Okay, see you then." She called out to him before going walking down the hall.

Adora meet the Bright Moon Princess noticing something was wrong "Is something wrong." She asked, walking besides her friend heading towards the door that led to the docks.

Glimmer's hands clenched and relaxed "I'm worried about Bow." She looked back over her to her room, have wondering if Bow had lied about what was in the final case "If we don't capture Zed on Beast Island, I want to make sure that Evil Prince doesn't see Bow again." She didn't really know how to put her feelings into words, she felt jealous, but not in the same way when Bow had gone to Princess prom with Perfume instead of her. She could sense that Bow believed that Zed could be good the same way Adora was, but she couldn't shake the feeling Zed was trying to cropped and still Bow away from her. Her mind went to Double Trouble her estranged cousins arm a wrapped around the emotional his redhead as she made the divide between herself and the rest of her family, even wider.

Adora shook her head "We can't plan for that." Just like how she couldn't plan for running into Catra, on one of her adventures. She knew that they would have to trust Bow and hope that his intelligent mind would outweigh his soft heart when it came to making the right decisions. Though as she thought it, she remembered that Bow had the option of preventing the Crown of knowledge from falling into the Horde Prince's hand and failed.

"Still… I'm worried that Bow doesn't understand what a danger Zed is, like you said, he's the son of the person who gave Hordak the okay to attack Etheria in the first place." Glimmer's eyes feel to the ground "Bow says he's different but, I'm sure it wouldn't be too far of a guess that Zed had tricked him."

"Bow did give Zed the crown, twice now." Adora pulled out the Sword of Protection and stared at the blue gem on its hilt "I want to trust him, but..."

Glimmer certainly curious not hearing the other girls finish her sentence "Come on spit it out."

"It's nothing. It's just I've been having nightmares each of them all ending up having to do with Zed somehow." She felt so embarrassing to say, it was not like she's never had a nightmare before or that the Horde Prince was the only reoccurring thing about those dreams.

"Adora you're She-Ra, don't take your dreams for granted what if their visions warning you of something." The Princess of Brightmoon looked at her friend sympathetically "I'm not afraid to tell me what you saw."

Adora let out a sigh, putting away the sword "I had one last night, I don't remember it too well. We were all together. There was a great battle against all the kingdoms of Etheria against the Horde." She closed her eyes as she walked alongside her friend trying to remember the bits of images that lingered clearly in her mind "It started to rain and I saw Zed, dressed in red armor like we saw that one time in the woods, but I could see his face. He was holding someone and screaming at their limp body, then he looked at me like he was blaming me for something."

"Geesh, that's really dark." Glimmer almost whistled to trying to imagine what the other girl had seen.

"That was in the scariest part of my dream, Zed screamed to something at me and then the stone on my sword turned black." There was something else about the stones, but Adora I couldn't remember what it was in that moment "Everyone around me started getting sick to, and there was something in the sky like a giant monster."

Glimmer tapped the bottom of her chin, contemplating how a Runestone could possibly go dark "I'll talk to mom and my aunt, see if runestones turning black as an actual thing. How recently have you been having these dreams?" She asked, thinking exactly how to talk to your aunt about the door is dreams if the opportunity ever arose.

"They started a few weeks ago and have been getting more frequent, I don't startle wake her lose sleep by them. but it's creepy you know?" The blonde-haired girl said opening the door that led outside of the castle. The cool afternoon breeze welcoming as they made their way down to the water, Sea Hawk's boats bobbing happily by the docks.

"Ahoy!" Sea Hawk called them in a chipper tone, eager to get going on the dangerous mission.

Even Mermista's dreary expression seemed to brighten as the other two princesses approach the boat "I was about to go in and get you two!" She called and then adjusted her tone as they got closer "Are we leaving Bow behind?"

Glimmer of thought about it, it wouldn't be too hard to get on the boat and leave her friend behind. In some ways it would probably be for the better "No. He'll be with us soon." She shook her head; Bow was important to the mission and despite his history with the Horde Prince she trusted him.

Sea Hawk sat on the railing of the boat and gave out a loud laugh "Off to Beast Island, what dangers await us." He smiled before twirling the end of his mustache.

"Usually a lot of monsters, maybe a dragon if we make too much noise. The main problem is goanna be the Horde. They have a prison or something on the island." Adora said trying to remember her lessons about what exactly was on the island.

Glimmer nodded "That's what people who get close enough to see the structure say." Beast Island was one of the first places to be completely taken over by the Horde and due to its secluded location, no kingdom really had a desire to take it back.

"I don't know if we should go through this, kind of feels like a set up." Mermista said, it had been the plan that the group that went into Horde territory should be small so if they got captured there was a less of a risk to the Princess Alliance. Though there was a major risk of not bringing in a strong enough force to take down Zed the entire rebellion would be the end of the rebellion as they knew it.

Before anybody could answer Bow ran up behind them "Hey guys!" He smiled, looking eagerly at all his friends "Are we ready to go?"

"Let's set sail!" Sea Hawk jumped to his feet readying to set off on to Beast Island.

Working together, the team set off across the ocean making good time through fair see. It wasn't long before they had drifted past the town is SeaWorthy and the coastline of friendly territory was truly out of sight. They talked and made plans for potential scenarios for what they might encounter on the island usually about how they would handle a dragon attack or how epic it would be to bring back the ashes of an Electroid a genetically modified creature that the horde had created to set fire to villages. Eventually the distractions were not an off as the void of blue started to suffocate the inhabitants of the small ship. The understanding that the five of them where heading deep into enemy territory sinking in to there bones.

* * *

Everything was a hazy blur as Bow seemed to float in space, he did his best to try to make out, his surroundings. No matter how many times he had this type of dream he couldn't truly find his bearings, it was like he was a ghost both in the environment he was looking at, but also so deeply disconnected from everything.

He watched a Zed, the unfortunate topic of all these bizarre off and on-again dreams. The horde Prince was talking to Double Trouble, the blonde-haired shape shifter trying to praise him for a trap that had yet to be sprung. The Horde Prince, however, did not seem to enjoy the attention that she gave him and said something to her to make her leave the room.

Bow's body instantly went cold as slowly the Horde Prince looked exactly in his direction. He watched frozen in confusion as for the first time in this bizarre dream scenario Zed looked up at Bow and cautiously put a hand out in the young archer's direction.

"Bow?"

"Um." Bow's eyes opened and stared up at the shadow of Glimmer who was eclipsed his view of the sun.

Glimmer stood up looking at him apprehensively "Sorry, where you sleeping?"

Bow shook his head and rub his face in his hands, he needed to remember the conversation he saw in his dream. Even so it didn't feel right to tell Glimmer that fact he was seeing Zed in his sleep, it would make him die of embarrassment to tell her.

"We saw a Horde ship and I thought you should be awake in case a fight starts." Glimmer shifted looking at something out in the ocean "That and I don't want you to get sunburnt." She gave a small smile.

"Yeah." He sat up and looked out into the ocean and gasped "Look! What is that!" He ran to the edge of the boat point to a shape in the distance.

Adora pulled out a spyglass and looked in the direction that Bow was pointing, she inhaled sharply at what she saw "That's a Horde Dreadnaught it's the biggest ship in the Horde's Navy." She put the scope down starting at the ships silhouette in the distance.

Sea Hawk eagerly took the spyglass "How do you pilot a boat that missive!" he whistled staring at the war ship with a hungry gaze.

Adora lend away from the eager sailor "With allot of people, we might as well be another Fright Zone on the water." You know very little about the Horde's Navy besides the fact that Lord Hordak and Admiral Scurvy never directly communicated with each other and used Octavia as a messenger between the two.

"It must be heading from Beast Island, good thing we're so small and faraway no way it could see us." Mermista looked at the small image of with a mixture of disinterest and relief.

At the mermaid princess's observation, Adora stood up straighter her eyes glued to the ship in the distance "Sea Hawk, how fast can this boat go?"

"As fast as I please, why do you ask?" The sailor said proudly puffing up his chest.

Fear creased the blonde warrior's features as she grabbed him by the shoulders "Fully speed to Beast Island!" She then pushed him away to pull out her sword "Now!"

"What's wrong?" Glimmer swiveled her head, clearly not understanding Adora's sudden panic.

The sound of high whistling answered the Brightmoon princess's question as pillars of black smoke hurtled towards them. Waves of splashes erupted around the boat as the missiles exploded from the water around them, which violently rocked the boat.

"Eek!" Glimmer shrieked as she fell on the deck as the boat rocked like it had been physically picked up and tossed across the water.

"Sea Hawk!" Adora screamed her hands becoming white knuckle that she gripped the sword.

"I'm working on it!" Seahawks screamed back using all his strength to keep his ship in an upright position.

Another round of projectile splashed in the water, steam and heated splatters rocketed up around the boat. Black pillars of smoke, signaling that another barrage of missiles was quickly on his way.

Mermista stared up at the incoming projectile with narrowed eyes "I got it!" Then through her strong will channel the ocean around the boat to engulf the shill input under the waves. Keeping it sheltered under the water in a massive bubble.

The waters above the bubble boiled with bright orange. The ripple effect from the blast pushing the pocket of air down into the depths farther making it hard for Mermista to maintain the bubbles shape.

With exasperated pants Mermista maneuvered the water to lift the boat back up to the surface. The boat bobbing and rocking against the water like a pelican that had let a fish escape from its beak. Water soaking the upper deck of the boat, until it eventually studied with the calming waters.

"Did they stop?" Bow who clung it to the mast of the boat asked with apprehension.

Bow's question, however, went unanswered as the shadow of beast Island bloomed prominently in the distance. With thick jungles and a massive gray mountain following up to a misty sky, the island gave off an ominous or as if the horde's presence within had corrupted it somehow. Everyone fell silent as they sailed the closer to the island, carefully watching the sky is and waters for the creatures the landmass was named after.

Sea Hawk was the first to break the silence "No way!" His eyes wide as his gaze fixated on something by the shoreline.

"What?" Adora said in an almost shushing tone.

"The Sea Hawk." The sailors spoke as if he had seen the dead come back to life "I thought the Horde destroyed it."

The group stared towards the island noticing anchored by the shoreline was a massive three mast ship made of dark wood with ornate carvings painted with gold and a figurehead the face of a massive bird of prey. From the tallest mask waved the black flag of Etherian Pirates waving in warning to the approaching newcomers.

"So, you're named after a boat?" Bow asked timidly, remembering the stranger in Green Thatch mentioning such a boat.

"It a pirate ship!" Sea Hawk's expression too went from one of anger to one of confusion and sadness within a breath "Also, I don't know which was named frist." Then spun the wheel turning his ship away from a boat that shared his name.

"Wait! Aren't we going to dock?" Adora said looking at shoreline that was drifting farther away.

"Not by that." Sea Hawk gave a venomous look to the massive pirate ship before pulling into a narrow inlet, overgrown trees with thick hanging vines, shielding the boat from prying eyes.

Within moments, the group waited to shore seeing nothing but fake overgrowth and shadows beyond the gravel shore. Chatters and disconcerting noises filled every inch of the space that the heroes were not able to see. If the Horde had not noticed them arrive on the island, it was clear that the island's other inhabitants was very much aware of them.

Mermista stared at the Dance thicket and then to the looming image of the mountain above them "Okay the prison, is on top of mountain, most likely." She guessed playing with her trident, tossing it from one hand to the other "Though I'm drained, I don't think I'll be using much more of my power."

"Don't worry I'll protect you from the fiends that stalks the jungles of this island." Sea Hawk said bravely, though he was the only one in the group that didn't bring a weapon.

"I didn't say I couldn't fight." The mermaid princess rolled her eyes moving closer to Glimmer.

Adora was the first to move using her sword of protection to cut away through the dense plant life, each swung of her sword becoming harder and harder as the plant seemed to smack and fight back against her strikes. The farther they moved from the shore, the more hostile the land seemed to become. Every plant moved and wrestled in the sounds of growls and whistles punctuated their footsteps as darkened silhouettes darted in and out of the shadows.

Glimmer's stomach twisted as she watched a line of pointedly good insects darting between her feet, a straggler curiously pinching at her boot with its mandibles. Suppressing a squeal, she pokes the insect away with her staff to send it on its way, only for a flying insect to dart by her hair, making her yelp loudly. The rest of the group, staring at her reaction of concerned faces as if she was about to be bitten by a much larger monster.

The ground shook and a stern voice Adora said "Stop." And cautiously looked ahead to see what was causing the disturbance, Sea Hawk and Bow eagerly looking over her shoulder.

With the massive yellow eyes, a brown's scale Dragon crouched on all fours stared at them through the brush small streams of smoke trailing out of its nostrils. It halted their head from one side to another as it looked at the heroes like a child and noticing a train of ants across the sidewalk. Then slowly it focused its gaze upon Adora, more importantly her sword and flicked its tongue out at her before winking one goldeneye.

The ground shook once more as the dragons stood up on its hind legs and began to waddle off deeper into the jungle, managing not to disturb the trees as it did. The group of heroes watching it utterly petrified stood there for several moments waiting for the ground to stop moving in the normal hostile tones of the jungle around them to return.

"That was close." Bow was the first to speak his voice cracking as he stared at the space where the Dragon had crouched.

Glimmer on the other hand, pushed to the front of the group and pointed to a clearly man-made path behind where the Dragon had sat "Look that well take us up the mountain!" She ran out into the clearing the rest of her friends close on her tail.

"Halt!" Several armed Horde soldiers emerged from what seemed like thin air, pointing blasters and stun batons as they approached in on the small group.

The five heroes readied themselves to fight against their attackers, staring at the heavily armored strangers waiting for the right moment to strike.

"You have been identified as threats to the Horde. Surrender!" One of the troopers spoke in a dead mechanical tone.

A light of realization flashed in Bow's eyes and he put back his bow and arrow "Okay!" He shouted raising up his arms in surrender.

"Bow!" Glimmers jaw dropped

"Just do it." He said calmly to his friends "Trust me."

With reductants one by one each of them put away their weapons. Though their eyes shone with hate and betrayal. There are stairs made Bow's heart ache, but if he had remembered his dream correctly. This would be the best outcome for all of them. Then with weapons locked in ready to do harm the soldiers marched, the five heroes up the mountain. The whole time none of them spoke a word to each other only sharing scant glances and loud grumbling half. The robots move them through sliding metal doors and heavy industrial hallways that brought back dark memories of the Fright Zone.

The five heroes were then escorted through the final set of doors of a violent shove. The room was fairly large with a massive pit in the center that was unguarded by railing or seemingly in the safety measure. On the side of the room, leaning against a control console was a tall, muscular man with dark hair and mustache that was dusted with white and gray hairs. Sitting in front of the console was a sleepy looking double trouble and Zed who seem to have not noticed that anybody had entered the room while Romeo leaned over at the top of Zed's chair his arms stretched over the Prince's chest like a sloth.

Romeo was the frist to speak "Me oh my!" The raven-haired Horde soldier looked at the five heroes, his eyes lingering on Glimmer. "Look Zed." He stood up straight his smile lazy and uncaring as he let the prince turn around.

Zed was not as clam seeing the members of the Princess Alliance. His face flushed red and jaw clenched, his fingers digging into the arms of his chair, he looked like he was about to scream at the five captives.

"Well you look all nice and tidy. Did you even put up a fight?" Double Trouble taunted as she peered at them through half open eyes.

"No need, you're trap took us exactly where we want to be." Glimmer countered looking menacingly even though her eyes wandered to piece together a solution to the situations.

Adora had another thought "What did you do with Krystala!" She moved to grabbed her sword as stealthily as she could.

Trouble sitting up let out a sigh "She's safe with Klye and Allegra back at home base, it wouldn't be safe having an untrained child on Beast Island." Looking disappointed that the ponytailed blonde.

"Oh, then why aren't you with them." Mermista gave a snide remark back at the shape shifter.

Double Trouble shook her, head her bored expression lighting up as a smile creeped across her face.

Sea Hawk how had been silent since they were taken up the mountain let out a stuttering "D-dad."

With a nod the older man stood up straighter, his expressions growing harsher as he rested his hand on the handle of a cutlass that seemed to be missing it's blade.

Zed let out a soft chuckle as he watched his captive's expression, his snarl giving away for amusement. "Well it's seems I've held up my part of the bargain, wouldn't you say Falcon." He looked up at the older man.

The man called Falcons stared at Sea Hawk 's expression cold the stone "What will you do with them?" His voice gravelly, and Bow immediately recognized it as the man he was talking to in Green Thatch.

The Horde Prince lazily looked at the five of them before saying "I don't care really; they will be punished in away fitting by Horde law." A small whistle of air escaped his lip as he stared at Bow with a hint of sadness "Of course, per our agreement the fate of the boy called Sea Hawk is yours to decided."

Sea Hawk's body tensed as he pointed a finger violently at the older man "Dad, why are you doing this! Help us! we're family." His voice a mix between an accusation and a plea.

Falcon simply narrowed his eyes as he played a with a ring around his finger "You lost your family when you abandoned the crew and I." his tone showing that he was closed off to any other way of thinking "I didn't raise a coward but when things got to rough you ran away." The man's voice was pinched of something akin to regret "It's only fair that you suffer like my men and I had to."

Zed took a long look around the room, his eyes falling on Bow once again, as if expecting the other young man to do something "Guards take them to holding cells!" He ordered a turning back to the screens, his body tensed like a windup toy about to be released.

In a sudden movement, the robotic soldiers longed to fully restrain the heroes. Red lights growing ominously from inside their darkened visors.

"No!" Adora slashed at one of the approaching robots with the sword of protection, making the metal man fly backwards "By the Honor of Grayskull!" She thrusted the sword up words, calling upon her transformation into She-Ra.

Glimmer sent a blast of magic at the robots pushing them back some so the members of the rebellion could spread out. The Brightmoon Princess heading straight for the Horde Prince, swiftly dodging a counter attack from Romeo.

Only to be kicked in the side by her cousin, whose bright emerald eyes gleamed as Glimmer stumbled to try to her hardest to regain balance.

Zed grabbing a dark leather satchel from behind the chairs stood up maneuvering less than gracefully away from Glimmer. Guiding himself closer to the open pit his hand digging to the bag for something franticly.

In a flash Adora could sense that the Horde Prince had the Crown of Knowledge on him, and rushed at him to stop him from using the artifact. She swung her sword up two attack them, only for it to be blocked by Falcon.

The ring on the man's finger glowed seeming to absorb the light from her sword, then he pulled out the blameless cutlass a large stream of white fire growing in the place of its blade. He slashed the sword at her several times, continuing to pick up speed each time the glowing warrior dodged.

Glimmer looked around the room, seeing that Mermista and Sea Hawk were still occupied with fighting the robots "Bow!" She shouted to her friend who was firing arrows Romeo and the occasional approaching robot troopers.

Bow turned and noticed Zed standing at the edge of the pit unprotected "You planned for this Zed didn't you!" He notches a net arrow and pointed at Zed, sensing how convenient the situation was. If Bow fired the arrow and it hit Zed, the horde Prince would tumble back into the pit, and he couldn't find it in himself to do such a thing.

The Horde Prince close his eyes and gave a soft smile before answering "What if I did?" His eyes opened. He looked behind him before looking back up at Bow and stopped searching in his bag and let his hands fall to his side.

"Bow take the shot!" Mermista shouted at Bow, before sending her triton into the chest of a robot. Then with a massive huff trusting its body over her head and into the pit, scraps of metal and sparking circuitry still clinging to the prongs of her weapon.

Bow's hands shook, even though the fighting raged around him he could feel the eyes of everyone around him. He'd had been so sure about stopping Zed, that he had chosen the friends what wanted to save Etheria over the boy who made it clear he'd never change.

Zed gave a soft sympathetic smile and nodded to Bow as if he understood what Bow needed to do, as if silently trying to say that it was okay if he got captured.

Bow felt his stomach drop as he sent the arrow flying, it was such a simple action that for a moment the young archer had thought that he had had let his finger slip, before quickly squashing the mental lie. Everyone around him seem to of went silent as the arrow exploded open and the net tangled around the Horde Prince, making him fall backwards into the darkness of the well behind him.

With out a second thought Bow ran to Zed hoping to pull the Prince out the massive hole. However, he tripped on a damaged robot sending himself into the darkness as well.

"Bow!" Glimmer's scream erupted from her throat as she helplessly him fall. With a flash of pink light, she teleported to the edge of the hole readying to jump in after him.

Adora stopped her using her enhanced strength as She-Ra, it was to too dangerous to follow her friend that way even with powers. It was clearly it just not the smartest thing to do, and no way to determine truly how deep down the dark trench her friend had truly fallen.

Wiping his face with his sleeve, Romeo grimaced and stood up "Come on Trouble!" He dug his fingers into the shape shifters shoulder pulling her towards a side door "We can get there before the rebels." He gave a vicious glare to the group of heroes before running out with the shaper shifter being dragged along like a bothersome pet.

Gently letting go of Glimmer Adora went after the two, the princesses of Brightmoon and Salineas quickly behind her.

Sea Hawk stared looking around the room "Dad." He said noticing the shadow of Falcon disappearing through the entrance, the heroes had been dragged through.

"Come on! Sea Hawk!" Mermista's voice echoed from behind the door.

After a few minutes of wandering through metal tunnels the rebellion members had entered the back into the dark jungles of the island. "Falcon…" The mermaid Princess muttered under her breath as she watched a red feathered bird squawk at them from above.

"What?" Sea Hawk looked at her confused.

Then suddenly Mermista turned on him. Her voice stern "You're Father is Storm Falcon. The leader of the largest pirate clan of the Demon Sea. Why didn't you ever tell me!" She gave him a shove and the other two princesses stared at each other confused.

The sailor was usually filled with pride gave a shameful repentant look to her "Because that's the one part of myself I'm not proud of." He looked at the ground grimacing at the memory of his path "It was so long ago, my father and his crew decided that they were going to attack a Horde tax galleon…" His fist clench "It was a setup and I barely got away, the other pirates of the Demon Sea disowned me and I had to start who I was from scratch." His frown lessened as he looked at Mermista "I even regained enough of my reputation to finally meet you."

The cold judgment on the Mermista's face melted to one of contemplation, then tried to take his hand as away to apologize.

Sea Hawk shook his head sternly his features taking on a more commanding form "It doesn't matter, I have the rebellion in the Princess Alliance now." Then with a smile he marched in front of the group "Now let's go save Bow."

* * *

Bow let out a groan as he opened his eyes letting out a gasp as he stared at the mangled body of the Horde trooper, wires sparking from its damaged chest. "Zed?" He stood up, looking at the dirty brown walls of the cave he was in fungi and routes of many plants stretching out along the floors and walls.

"I'm fine…" A weak voice, called to him.

Bow looked up to see Zed still tangled up in the net, which had gotten caught on various roots and vines making the Zed hang a few feet above the cave floor "Don't move, that's a Yog vine." He calmly called up to the other boy even though Zed's struggles to get down was causing long green snake like plants to creep closer to him. "I'll find something to cut you out." He said pulling out a bow when searching for an arrow that would be most useful in the situation.

Zed at the other boys' words stopped his movement "My bag." He responded.

With a nod Bow went in search for the black satchel that had fallen into the pit with them. It was fairly easy to find the bag and could feel the power of the Crown of knowledge, resting safely within. Carefully he opened the bag, examining the contents the glow of the ancient Crown distracting him, and he wondered if that was what Zed wanted him to use to free him. After all, the crown was his birthright and Zed was in danger, but then he noticed another object casting a long shadow in the crowns light.

"Hey you made another one!" Bow held up a dark gray cylinder, recognizing it as the multitool that Zed had lost in the caves of Darkedge.

The other male looked down at Bow and frowned slightly "You sure you want to try the multitool?" He said, shifting in the net "Not anything else?" He seemed confused, shocked, almost by the way he stared at Bow expecting him to change his mind.

Having his questions answered, on whether or not Zed had intended him to take the crown. Bow nodded, even though the crown was the safest option and he was more skilled with his own bows and arrows he was deeply curious on how Zed was able to turn the simple cylinder into other things.

Zed relented as he kicked a tendril of the Yog vine that was approaching his leg. "Okay, just turn it to the left a little." He explained "There should be a lazer." A puff of air escaping his lips.

Bow nodded and twisted the cylinder, a hard blast of green light smacking against the cave wall. Roots and rocks tumbling from the impact, then at holdings said rock to violently the encroaching carnivorous plant swiping at the air as if startled. Slightly flinching Bow tried to re-aim the multitool holding his arm out as if he was using his bow, if he could just fire it would, through his other hand wouldn't be able to turn it like that. He rubs his thumb along the tool, as he watched Zed who was calmly studying him. The much to Bow's surprised he noticed the material of the tool sliding out to, something feeling like a button resting under his thumb.

Bow looked down the length of his arm and the tool, he saw exactly where he needed to fire to get Zed down. He took a risk and press down on the button, the recoil from what shot out of the small cylinder sent him stumbling back. White flames erupted along the plant roots and the Yog vines tendrils, the net tumbling to the ground with a black smoke wising out of the ropes.

Zed was quick to excavate himself from the scorch net. The Prince's hair tussled as he panted, his his gray eyes staring up at Bow as he calmed himself.

As he moved over to the Horde Prince, Bow felt a moment nostalgia looking at him. Despite Zed being dressed in a strange blue Horde uniform, he could almost trick himself to believing that they were still in the cave searching for the crown and no time had passed between them. Cautiously he extended his free hand down to him "Carful." He said helping Zed to his feet.

"Thanks." Zed ran is fingers through his hair, a small smile softening his features.

Bow quickly released the other boy's hand "You know, for a while I thought you didn't remember me, that you had gotten brainwashed or something." He said with a nervous chuckle, secretly hoping that Zed would finally make sense.

"Better to act brainwashed then have other become suspicious of us." Zed gave a forlorn look to Bow "I had to keep my promise to you, mo ghile mear."

Bow felt the pang of guilt for the other young man. It hurt him somewhat to know that Zed had kept his promise, even though it explained his behavior. "Here you go." He handed the bag with the crown and the multitool back to Zed.

Zed took the items his face taking on a shocked expression as he looked at them "Are you going to tie me up?" He asked, staring at Bow as if the other boy had become a puzzle that needed to be solved.

"Why would I do that!" Bow said startled but self-consciously shifted his weapon and quiver full of arrows.

"Because you've come to take me prisoner." The Horde Prince said bluntly "It's the only reason you would've brought members of the Princess Alliance with you." His eyes shifted to the ground as he began to walk away "How did you know I told the robot troopers to bring you and your friend to me?"

"Well…" Bow trailed off as he tried to keep up with Zed, thinking about the best way to explain without being awkward "I dreamt that you are talking to Double Trouble, you told her that you had set a trap at the base of the mountain for us."

Zed tilted his head before simply saying "Well, that makes sense."

"Wait, you don't find that strange?" Bow asked, almost stumbling at Zed's non-reaction.

"I do, but it proves a hypothesis that I've been having for a while." His silvery gray eyes inspecting Bow intently "Though the dream of me often?"

Bow blushed and crossed his arms "Not like I want to! I don't even remember them anyways." He muttered embarrassed.

"It seems the Crown of knowledge is confused and thinks that we are actually one person." Zed stated running his hand along the cave walls as if looking for something.

"What do you mean?" Bow didn't understand how something as advance as Frist One's technology could get confused or broken in such away as it would see to complete different people as one.

Zed looked back at him and sighed before saying "While you sleep. You spy on me, though at all times I'm aware what you're thinking and feeling."

"What!" Bow shook his head more embarrassed by that revelation, than actually having the ability to sleep stalk the other young man.

"At first I thought it might've been the connection to the planet, since the intensity of it waned and faded over time when I was in space." Zed ran his hand on the back of his neck, clearly reacting to Bow's emotions "Though the impressions that I was receiving didn't line up with that, it wasn't exactly like I was reading somebody's mind, but as if I had tapped into a line of communication where someone was sending out messages that weren't meant for anyone."

"You've been reading my mind!" Bow felt betrayal and like his piracy was stripped from him.

"More like I've been receiving what you send me." Zed turned to face him, his face painted with guilt "There were mostly emotions nothing really of substance, you weren't trying to commutate with me anyway." He said calmly.

"This is insane!" Bow took a step back, his hand reaching.

"Clam down." The Horde Prince raised his voice "Trust me Bow, I have no intention of harming anyone."

The seeming honesty in Zed's voice made Bow shake, the tone of the other voice boy's voice was pleading and not judgmental. "I do it's just." He answered conflicted on where or not he meant those words.

"Your friends, they take seniority over me and they take me for the spawn of a demon." Zed gave another blunt statement, before he continued search for an exit to the cave.

With a deep breath Bow asked to question that was eating at him "Why are you back?"

"I wish could tell you everything." Zed, sighed his body slumping as if the words were too much say.

"Give me a hint." Bow moved to keep in step with the red head.

"On our little trisk I did something…offensive." Zed flinched as if he was struck by an invisible force "My father has forgiven me, but there was a cost." Then he turned to look a Bow with a sad yet hopeful look "If all goes well, I can guaranty the Horde will no longer threaten your people." The hopeful light suddenly was snuffed out "Though it hasn't been easy, my uncle… Hordak has been sabotaging me."

There was silence that grew between them, so many thoughts both joyful and fearful danced through Bow's head at Zed's explanation. He knew that if other members of the horde were trying to stop Zed, that meant the princes plan, couldn't be all that bad. Though there was something he couldn't shake something about the princes wording that made a pit form in his stomach "What's the price?" He asked.

The Prince of the Horde stopped his face sullen as he seemed to shrink into himself. Zed's lack of words was an obvious sign, that what Zed had to do in order to be forgive by the Evil Horde, was the one thing Bow could not forgive.

"You are trying to take over Etheria!" Anger, betrayal, and shame flooded him as he pushed Zed into the cave wall. He felt like he was played for a fool, he was so willing to trust Zed again that secretly the Prince had been an undeclared ally to the rebellion. It hurt him to know that his friends were right, he shouldn't have ever trusted Zed despite how different he was.

The Prince put up a small struggle as his weapon and the bag that held the ancient Crown were ripped from him. "Bow." Zed's tone was soft as if Bow was some frightened creature that needed help.

"I'm sorry Zed, but I have to do what is right for Etheria." The words tumbled out of Bow's mouth before he had really thought them through. He didn't want to apologize to him, he hope that Zed's knew empathic ability to read his thoughts made him aware how angry he was. Then shoved Zed to the side readying his bow and arrow at the Prince back, this time having no apprehensions on firing at him.

Zed began to walk, to Bow's surprise he wasn't putting up a fight. Perhaps he was in pain from the fall, or he was saving his energy for a latter point in time. Either way it made Bow feel a pang of concern for the teen, truly realizing how much Zed had changed from the memory he kept of him.

Several moments passed and the cave began to lighten as more natural light flooded in from farther up the cave. "How is Arrow doing?" Zed broke the silence briefly glancing back at the other boy.

Bow was shocked that Zed remembered the bright blue mare that they had both saved from the Horde on their first adventure. "She's doing fine, she's a good girl and a strong horse." Bow answered, remembering his trusty steed was safe at home, and briefly wondered how the mayor would react to seeing Zed again. Then squashed the thought, since the only thing the Horde Prince would be seen for a long time is the inside of a jail cell.

Zed nodded, then continuing to walk on staring absently at the cave walls clearly lost in thought.

Bow wished that the strange powers that connected them more switched, curious about what Zed was thinking. Possibly if Zed was truly trying to conquer Etheria before Hodak he planned to free the planet afterwards, though without being able to peer into his mind, Bow was too afraid to ask. He wondered if he could just focus more when his dreams made him peer into to Zed's life, he might find some valuable information that could help the Princess alliance.

"Look!" Despite the weapon being placed at his back. Zed suddenly ran ahead, picking up a large elliptical stone cradling it in his arms, cracks and misshapen bulges decorating its surface.

"That's a dragoon egg." Bow lacks to his weapon as he stared at the stone, recognizing it from an image in a book he took from the castle library.

"It's so cold." Zed remarked feeling curiously along one of its misshapen protrusions.

"It looks damaged, the baby inside is probably dead." Bow said, from what he had learned about dragons. They had a way of telling if a baby dragon was going to survive outside of its eggs before it hatched and the parent Dragon would remove those eggs from the nest. In order for the healthy babies to have a better chance of living long lives instead of putting effort into trying to raise and baby often impairment.

Zed, who is face had been filled with interest and curiosity frowned at Bow's statement. He looked down at the a inspecting the cracks and bumps in a different light. His eyes welling up as he gently put the egg down, kneeling beside it in petting it ever so slightly.

"Hey, it's okay dragons all over this island, right?" Bow said trying to cheer the other boy up.

Zed muttered something under his breath, Bow catching the sounds of 'not this one.' Before the horde Prince stood up to look at him "Let's keep going." The glistening wetness on his face had disappeared, leaving only an emotionless cold expression "Can't keep your friends waiting."

"Bow!" Glimmers voice cheered as she ran to Bow as the young man emerged from the cave.

The other three hero's ran close behind the glittering haired princess, each of them letting out hoods and cheers of surprise finding their friend. Their faces alight with joy and relief at seeing Bow again, safe and perfectly unharmed.

"Guys!" Bow laughed as he was pulled into a group hug. He could only imagen what type of perils they had seen on the island in order to find him. It made him feel slightly jealous, but he was more grateful to have his friends altogether again.

The Horde Prince stared at the ground forlornly as the rebels enjoyed their reunion. His body leaned up against the cave's mouth the tip of his dark boot dragging against the ground.

Adora still glowing brightly as She-Ra was the frist to notice him and broke off the hug "Don't move Zed!" She pointed the sword of protection at him threateningly.

The red-haired boy looked up at him and simply raised his hands in surrender.

Sea Hawk then rushed over to restrain Zed, holding the Prince's arms pinned against his back.

Then the group made their way through the jungles of Beast Island. The five heroes chattering and making happy remarks at capturing the Prince and their possible victory over the Horde as a whole. The whole time Bow felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Keep moving!" Sea Hawk shouted as close suddenly stopped walking, the horde Prince falling to his knees.

Before the rest of the group could react, several massive furry creatures erupted from the forest around them in a massive stampede. The whirring and clicking sound of robots approaching after the stampeding monsters.

Blaster shots were fired behind the tree the shadow of Romeo weaving in and out of the shadows to take shots at the princesses and their companions.

Glimmer shrieked as the cheery nearest to her came alive, the form of Double Trouble morphing from the branches and leaves.

The shadow of falcon passed over Bow's vision, the pirate captain seeming to fall from the sky directly above him. Bow managed to arrive away dropping Zed's bag and multi tool to do so. The sword of white fire the pirate used scorching the area where he once stood.

Seahawk in abandoning the captured Prince rammed his shoulder into his father's side. Grappling with him and eventually stealing the flaming sword from the pirate captain.

Zed seeing an opportunity in the chaos grabbed the bag in his multi tool and dived into the deep brush of the jungle.

This went unnoticed by everyone in the fight besides Bow, the archer letting out a frustrated groan. Then darted after Zed through the forest, for the sake of his friends. He couldn't let the Horde Prince escape, not when he had purposely led him go so many times before.

When Bow pushed his way through the vines and bushes to reveal that Zed hadn't ran off that far.

"Go!" Zed turned his back to Bow his multi tool in his hand. "Join your friends and get off the island! Know!

"What!" Bow looked confused.

A massive three-legged robot emerged from the tree line. It's a bright sight aimed at Bow "I said leave!" The horde Prince looked at him, his face a vicious and angry sneer "You need to be free Bow."

Not having a moment to think Bow ran away from Zed, joining up with his friends to seem to be retreating downhill towards the shoreline of the island.

"Sea Hawk!" Several sailors called to do the group from a wooden rowboat beckoning them over. The small boat bobbed a good few feet in the water and the group would have to wade in order to climb in.

They knew that the sailors must've come from the pirate ship the Sea Hawk. With a small army of the Horde at their back and the water in front of them filled with pirates. It was either frying pan or a fire in the heroes had to choose quickly.

They chose to try their luck of the Pirates and splashed into the water as fast as they could, the rowboat piling off the moment the five rebel leaders were on the rowboat. Moving like a skipping stone towards the larger pirate ship.

Climbing up onto the deck of the pirate ship. The five heroes were greeted with the side of even more pirates of varying race in size. Each of them, staring at the rebellion members expectantly as angry shouts of Falcon, the crews captain could be heard from the shore.

Seahawk raised his flaming cutlass and said to the crowd on the boat "Men, hoist sails!" The sailors echoing a cheer at his orders.

Everybody rushed to their stations pulling down the ropes and doing whatever they could. As the boat pulled out of the shallows and into deeper water. Sea Hawk taking the wheel to navigate the boat out of range of enemy fire, the ship gaining speed as it began to pick up the land.

As the boat rocketed through the waters large golden sales extended out from the wooden paneling of the boat. "Haha!" Sea Hawk puffed out his chest as he laughed proudly down at his father and the small army of robots as the boat lifted into the air. Falcon could only watch helplessly as his prized ship was stolen by his son and was forced to slink back into the black and jungle.

Despite being a retreat, the atmosphere felt like a celebration, the crew of the Sea Hawk happily joining their new captain of the rebellion. New allies and an extraordinary naval vessel to help fight against the Horde's Navy.

"We escaped and stole a pirate ship!" Glimmer's short sparkling hair whipped wildly in the winds as the boat flied through the air.

"Zed got away." Adora said disappointed, the one reason they went to Beast Island and they failed.

The wind that danced around them grew cold at her remark, Glimmer's cheerful expression becoming sullen at the realization that Bow and the rest of her friends could be put in danger by the evil Prince once more.

"Well he's still on the island." Mermista looked the shirking land mass in the distance, a silent offer of an immediate retry of the island.

"No, we need a better plan next time." The blonde shook her head "He's planning something big; I can feel it." The impression of the blue room stone on her sword going dark rippled like murky water in the back of her mind. The sword, the entire balance of Etheria was trying to warn her about what was to come in the next time her in the Horde Prince met she needed to stop him.

"Guy's meet my crew!" Sea Hawk called to the princesses from the crowd of sailors with a boisterous laugh.

Meanwhile far as possible from his friends. Bow looked at the waves that were rushing feet below him, Beast Island, nothing more than a flickering image on the horizon. His mind was a fog of questions, as his chest ached with confusion, Zed wanted him to be free and was almost willing to get captured by the rebellion. Zed didn't want to take over the planet and perhaps he had planned to make it easy for the Princess alliance to capture and Bow and all his friends just a mess that up. Bow closed his eyes and focused on the ghost of the feeling, a sensation that he knew had to be his connection to the Crown of Knowledge. Remembering what Zed had said in the caves, he sent out an impression of a question, the smallest prayer for answers.

_**(AN: Here's another chapter, don't think I'll be able to get another one out until after season two is released. I really enjoy this and I'm doing my best to keep adapting old show lore into the reboot's lore, and I hope you all enjoy me doing that. I would deeply appreciate if you left a review, tell me what you enjoyed and what you didn't and where I can improve to make the experience more enjoyable.)**_


	5. Chapter 4

Separated Part 1

"Bow!"

Bow set up the straight, his steed Arrow snorting seeming to be startled by the voice ahead of them as much as he was. Netossa continued to stare at him from over his shoulder her hands firmly on the reins of her horse with a great deal of confusion.

"You're not falling asleep, are you?" The silver or the blue-haired Princess said flipping her hair over her shoulder as she almost turned herself completely around to look at him. The member of the Princess alliance seeming to be very concerned with bows seeming distant behavior.

"Uh no." He said with a nervous laugh "Just remembering something." It felt so awkward telling the truth to her, but what he was remembering was something he couldn't bring himself to say. He was trying to remember his first adventure with Zed and regretting every moment of it knowing that his very thoughts weren't safe from the Horde Prince. He wished that the crown was more of an even two-way street, so when he worried about when he had unknowingly led Zed to his father's house the heir to the worst Empire in all the universe would at least be able to answer him. Though instead, he had to spy on Zed when he was asleep, and the worst part of it all is that he hadn't gotten enough control of it to even be remotely useful enough to tell his friends.

Bow let out a groan and pulled on Arrows reins, the shimmering blue mare pulling back and stamping in protest at his outburst. Which forced him to calm down and reevaluate that he wasn't on a solo reconnaissance mission or out in the Whispering Woods collecting data. He was on a very time-sensitive mission since the jeweled artifact Zed had given him stop showing a hologram of Beast Island but several tiny Horde insignias across the planet each with a synchronized countdown timer. The Princess Alliance had theorized the timers could mean anything from a strategic attack to the countdown of bombs, but they couldn't be certain unless they went to those exact locations.

Netossa pouted looking at Bow with concern said: "Where almost to Vargon." Taking his behavior to mean he was already tired with the trip.

"Is Vargon you're kingdom?" Bow asked trying to have a conversation with the Princess he was less familiar with.

"Kinda." Netossa flipped her silvery-blue hair over her shoulder as she looked ahead of her "Allot of kingdoms call me their princess, but I don't have one that's I'm going to be the queen of one day." She answered him.

"Weren't you a bounty hunter before joining the Princess Alliance?" Bow asked trying to recall the vaguest of facts about her life.

She let out a puff of air and shrugged saying "I made money doing favors of allot of people, a lot of those people needed me to retrieve things that didn't want to be found."

Bow thought long and hard about the information she had given him and wondered exactly what type of criminals or 'things' she had to hunt down. However, he decided to just let it go, and let her pass be in the past she was part of the Princess Alliance and a good friend to the other princesses.

The duo made their way along the dusty trail to a forking path that branched up the mountain and the other down towards the ocean. At the crossroad stood two imposing female guards' spears already at the ready as they approached.

"Halt!" The voice of one of the guards made the two members of the Princess alliance stop.

"Netossa!" One of the guards stood up straighter at the side of the Princess "It's so nice to see you again!" She moved as if to give the girl a hug, but stopped just beside her horse.

"You brought a man?" The guard said to Netossa with a concerned curiosity.

"He's from the Princess Alliance." Even though she smiled the tone in her voice made her explanation sound more like an apology to the two guards.

"Princess?" The other guard shook her head, looking away and sniffing the air as if she caught wind of something foul.

"We're here to help Vargon, see if there's anything we can help with?" Netossa gave the simplest explanation without making the guards worry about any impending danger.

The guards gave a short look to each other and then smiled "Of course, I'm sure the king and queen have something for you two to do." The first one said it gesturing towards this move past that lowered towards the water.

Netossa smiled and trotted her horse towards the path "Cool, tell prince Arkion I said hi." She called to Bow and the two guards from over her shoulder

"Not you." The suspicious guard said to bow as he tried to follow the Princess "Men go up the cliffs." Pointing to the branching road up the mountain.

"My horse is a girl." Bow said petting the shimmering mane of his steed "Can I put her down in the stables down there."

The guard pointed again her lip pulled into a stern line not amuse "Up." She said coldly

Netossa watched the exchange from over her shoulder and mouthed 'Sorry.' Shrugging her shoulders as if there was nothing she could do in the situation.

Bow waved and smiled as he stared his horse towards the inclining path up the mountain. He knew he wasn't in a sit situation where he could criticize other cultures, especially since he was here to save them from the horde but deep down, he couldn't help but feel that it was very silly for men and women to take different paths that they were going to the same place.

"Be back soon." She waved one last time before heading her ways out of the site.

He followed the winding is crumbling path up the cliffs and wondered when he would eventually turn back down towards the ocean. However, the path eventually ended at the slanted wicker gates beyond the gate was a small village carved out of the stone of the mountain straw and thatched roofs falling in and themselves from lack of repair. An easy bow passed through the gate dismounting and guiding his horse over to a small worn down's stable more a small group of horses rested. After checking but not noticing any stable hands he left some coins on a table and reassured his horse that he would be back as soon as the trouble was over before heading out into the dusty street.

"Get him!" Shouts from deeper within the town caught bow's attention first making him speed up his walk.

He approached a large crowd gathered in front of a building that was only slightly larger than the stone shacks that made up the town "The neck! Go for the neck!" Voices erupted from the crowd who sounded almost gleefully eager for it ever was going on in front of them.

"Boy! Boy!"

Bow looked up at the voice that was calling to him from a wooden viewing platform on the other end of the crowd. A top the platform set a man with long the ears that narrowed in two points heavily pierced of earrings of nearly every shape and design and, jewel-toned the clothing in a chair that reminded him of the dining chairs his fathers had at their library. Bow had to assume that by his place away from the crowd and his expensive-looking clothing that the man must have been the mayor of this tiny town.

"Come. Sit beside me." The man said gesturing to another chair beside him as Bow and made his way up the platform to go.

"I'm Bow the Princess Alliances sent me." He said sitting down realizing as he did that, he had a perfect view of whatever the crowd was cheering around.

"I'm King Theymor." The older man said before gesturing to the site below them "It's so nice to get so many visitors, my son Arkion is currently entertaining our other guest."

Bow peer down to see a street fight between a lanky snowy blond man, who at first sight he thought was Kyle but quickly realized it was someone he'd never seen him before, and a larger dark-haired man with pointed ears very similar to the Kings. Bow assumed that when must've been the King's son Arkion, and wondered my he was fighting for the crowd instead of putting his effort in with the shifted in his seat unable to relax and enjoy the spectacle below him, every near hit in barely feigned dodge reminded him that his mission was time-sensitive.

The dark-haired combatant reached for a coil of golden rope that was hanging from his hip. He spun the rope around his hand and quickly made a lasso out of it and sent it out around his opponents' leg. Then with a harsh tug, he pulled on the rope making the other man fall in his back. The pale opponent kicked and twist in almost unnatural ways to escape and the loops and did not see that Arkion was craftily binding him. Then eventually went to as a doll in a sudden acceptance of defeat as his limbs were pulled and tied behind his back.

"Haha!" With a massive grin, the pointed eared opponent stepped on his prone challenger's back "You look like you're ready to be put on a spit." He said down to the blonde teasingly.

The blonde spat and barely said, "I yield." As a smile crept on his face.

There was a depressing side that seemed to ripple amongst the crowd as the fight ended, each man disappearing in clusters moving like reluctant marionettes to their everyday responsibilities. Prince Arkion quickly and craftily as he had tied up his opponent was in the rope and called it back on his hip, before helping the blonde man to his feet.

The King waved to the two below with a slight irritation on his face at his son's victory.

"Another person!" The Prince is brown doe eyes lit up at the sight of Bow "I'm Arkion, and you?" He said pulling the young archer into a sweaty hug.

"Bow." He coughed out a greeting startled by the sudden hug.

The Prince let go of off him and then wrapped an arm around the other male "This is Mischief, he's been visiting us for a few days."

"It's so nice to have more victors." King Theymor said, though his tone a held little enthusiasm for the fact "Usually all the visitors from other land are females."

"Why is that?" Bow asked curiously, he had read about or ever heard from his fathers of a kingdom that put all its responsibilities on one gender. Usually, a king or a queen in a Royal family was more common, but that at least allowed the opportunity for him a man and woman alike to rule a kingdom.

"Because it's, the Queen of Vargon that makes larger dissection for the Kingdom." The Prince answered his voice cold and spiteful "It's been that way for centuries." He let go of Mischief to clench his fist against his chest.

The King glared at his son making a low mutter in warning. His body sinking the back into the chair like a cat splashed with water as his fingers danced a crossed the chair his arms.

Arkion simply glared back before perking up and asked: "You want to go cliff diving?"

Mischief nodded an impish grin on his face "Sound exciting, what about you?" He turned to Bow with a cold-blooded smirk.

Bow looked between the Prince and King "Sure, just a moment, I need to talk to the King." The moment he answered Arkion and Mischief descended from the platform and went off towards the cliff that overlooked the ocean in the part of the kingdom where the woman of the kingdom resides.

"What is it, boy." The King said taking on a friendlier tone.

"Sir not to alarm you, but I believe the Horde as infiltrated your kingdom." Bow explained as quickly as he could uneasiness pushing down on his shoulders "Is there anything here that they might want?"

Theymor shook his head his eyes becoming weary "Not on this side of the kingdom, the women are in charge of protecting anything of value."

Bow tilted his head in curiosity "What do the men do here?"

"Whatever we want long as it doesn't interfere with a woman's work, it has been that for such a long time." Was the answer the King gave him giving a noncommittal way that the town around them crumbling an old. "If they don't like it, they can leave, of course not me and the Prince because we have a duty to our Kingdom that's more important than petty things." His voice was almost smug as he finished.

Bow tried his best to make what they King was saying work with his already extensive knowledge, but he had personally never visited a kingdom that was so backward and deciding who got to decide to do what. At the realization, he wondered if Arkion strange attitude towards his father was because the Prince wanted to join the rebellion against the Horde and was barred against it. He recalled his relationship with his own dads and try to remember the fear being shot down about his desire to want to join the rebellion along with the Princess Alliance with glimmer.

The King waved off bow's clear skepticism in distaste for the prior statement with "I wouldn't worry about the Horde, but do stay until you're comfortable in that fact."

Bow nodded but was deeply irritated by the King's lack of cooperation in the matter, he hopes that Netossa was having an easier time investigating on her side of the kingdom than he was. Then he walked away off the platform towards where he had seen the Prince and the traveler who called themselves Mischief wander off to. He hoped that the Prince would be more concerned about the Horde in his kingdom than his father seems to be, even if the infiltration happened on the women's side it should be up to just them to solve the kingdom's problems. He could only imagine the type of chaos there would be if a Princess or King or Queen had to solve every petty problem that happened in every single village.

He approached an area where the stone town jetted out into a decrepit balcony that overlooked a small strip of sand and the ocean below. Bow could almost see the glowing silhouette of the Seagate and the kingdom Salineas of just beyond it. The view was stunning but also strangely eerie as he heard snippets of a conversation as to shadows approached him. Instinctively he hid behind a shadowy outcropping of rock that had once been some type of bench and listened intently to the approaching duo's conversation.

"I told you I'm a shapeshifter, this is just the form I'm most comfortable with!" The voice of Double Trouble ring clear punctuated with a sigh of "At least right now."

"I envy you…" The Prince said softly "But you look like a woman right now! You could get me in trouble Mischief."

Bow stepped out of his hiding place his weapon drawn an arrow notched at the shapeshifter "Actually, Double Trouble is her name, and she apart of the Horde."

Trouble job clenched teeth ridding eyes briefly becoming yellow as she clenched her fists "She, he, stupid identifiers, I only let people I care about it a way of calling me whatever they want." She spat at Bow making it clear that he didn't meet that requirement, before grasping at the Prince's arm "Arkion trust me, I was told to help you." Trouble's face was earnestly showing that the shapeshifter's desire to help him was more than just being ordered around. "The world the way it is has been unkind to you, but there's nothing wrong with you and all you need is a little push to prove that!"

Arkion looked between the shapeshifter who gripped his arm like a viper and Bow you had immerged with a weapon known ready to strike. His body stiffened which straight and pull Double Trouble behind him reflexively trying to protect their now much smaller form.

Bow realizing that threatening wouldn't be the best sort of action tried to reason with the Prince "Don't listen! I understand how it feels to be treated differently, but…"  
"It is what it is!" Arkion snapped interrupting Bow and clear defiance of whatever the other boy would have to say. "You spend all your time with Princesses how could you know what I've been through!"

Bow took a deep breath shaking off the prince's harsh words, knowing that the shapeshifter had been manipulating him "Arkion, listen." He tried to make the Prince understand, but he could see in the other boy's dark eyes that it was already too late.

"No! come on!" Arkion gripped Double Trouble was sighed as he moved to towards the edge of the cliff hopping upon the barrier that separated the craggy town from the sheer drop below.

Bow ran towards the two in hopes to stop them, the moment he lifted his foot the two jumped off the cliffside. In a panic, he gripped the stone barrier and peered down at the cliff, and to his relief noticed that Arkion had lassoed a stray rock and propelled down the cliff safely to the sand below.

"Wait!" He called down to the two but noticed that the Prince was already pulling down the rope and Double Trouble was running down the sandy beach eyes filled with a fiery purpose.

Bow tied and his bow and quiver and made his way over the edge and to climb down the cliff after him, his dissent slow and unsteady as every rock he seems to touch crumbled away at his weight. As carefully as he could his boots finally hit the sand and knowing that time was clearly slipping away followed their footprints up to and ornately painted the staircase.

As he descended the staircase, he emerged out on a well-maintained street of a town painted in jewel-toned shades with the windows leafed with golden pearls. A palace his eyes and he was making his way through the gates and slamming open the entryway doors before his mind could process. His abrupt entrance resulted in a corruption of screams from a group of women within the palace, as well as a swarm of guards surrounding him.

"Bow!" Netossa broke away from the crowd her eyebrows narrowed in confusion "What are you doing here!"  
Another woman broke away from the crowd to stand behind the Princess her light brown hair pulled back into a complicated breed, her forehead was decorated with a myriad of rainbow gemstones. "Netossa, why is this man in the city?" She asked her with a calm authority reserved for Queens and those of extremely high standing.

"Your Highness!" Bow gasped out before the other member of the Princess alliance could say anything "The Prince!" He needed to figure out what Double Trouble was planning but every part of him screamed that they were running out of time.

Netossa recoiled as if Bow had tossed a lump of hot coal at her as the woman noble and guard alike began to gasp shifting about nervously.

The Queen blinked several times before simply asking "Arkion?" Then as if struck by lightning she screamed: "Is he here!" She spun her colorful clothing catching in the air as she darted down towards the shoreline.  
Netossa and both stared at each other for what felt like a long minute. The silvery blue-haired Princess is expression morphed from shock to fear to anger, but then calm down before opening her mouth to speak.

"Guards quickly!" The Queen's voice echoed from up the street and all the guards left Bow's side to follow after her.

The calmness melted away into fury as Netossa shouted at Bow "What do you do!"

Bow put up his hands as if to explain to her his innocent will simply saying "I didn't!"

"Never mind!" She shook her head before running after the guards in the Queen.

With no other choice bow quickly followed Netossa out of the castle and more up towards the shoreline where a modest crystal dome temple with the repeating etchings of the First One's symbol that bow recognized as Adora said 'She-Ra' into what would be usually smooth marble. He recognized the architecture wasn't the ones of the First Ones like he had visited on his many adventures, but something to mimic what a First One's holy site may be like. He entered the temple right behind Netossa the room filled with guards that lined the walls in a defensive position as if there was a barrier preventing them from moving any farther in the room.

In the center of the room towering as tall as the crystal dome above them, was a masterfully crafted statue of what must've been a former She-Ra kneeling with one hand outstretched towards the ground. Further examining the outstretched hand there was an indentation where an object would've set but will a hollow and empty as Prince Arkion stood in front of the statue.

Wrapped around the Prince's arm was a golden armband with the unmistakable glitter of a piece of first one's tech embedded within the piece of jewelry. Spiraling around him was his rope that was seeming to be taken apart and woven back together several times by an unseen force, each shine as he did so it seemed to grow stray golden thread sneaking and coiling around the large room like whips readying to strike.

"Arkion!" Netossa gasped at the side of the Prince making her step back.

The Prince narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired Princess "Hi Netossa." He crowned with a faux-friendliness

Bow instinctively readied his weapon aiming at exactly at the glowing piece of First One's tech, as much as he would hate to harm an artifact of cultural significance, he was willing to do it for the greater good. "Where's Trouble!" He looked around trying to find the shapeshifter the best he could, but no hint of them he could be seen.

The Prince gave an almost pseudo-sympathetic smile down to the members of the Princess Alliance "I wouldn't shoot if I were you." He said to bow gesturing above him in which a large amount of the golden tangle crept up towards.

"Arkion please!" The Queen called down to the Prince her demeanor composed as she dangled in the grasp of the possessed rope.

"Arkion please." The Prince mimicked her words with a venomous hiss "Don't cry when you raised in this place, with the sea and beauty." He said quietly just enough for the Queen and the two nearby adventurers to hear "Then left me with that broken man, do you remember how I cried!" He raised his voice louder for the guards and curious civilians that were entering the shrine to hear "Remember how I cried when you got Netossa to drag me back when I escaped!" The shining fibers of the rope that had spread out across the room whipped against the ordinate walls and glass in response to his fury.

The Queen struggled against the bindings that kept her dangling above the floor "Please, I didn't want to give you up, it's just!" She tried to reason with her son though as she did every last strand of composure fled her. "Forgive me!"

Arkion said nothing as he stared at his mother with his large dark eyes, his body rigid like the statue behind him. Nobody moved as the growing threads and ropes snaked around every aspect of the shrine-like curious worms feeling out foreign soil.

A tear streaked down the Queen's her lip quivering before she looked out at everyone that had gathered in the shrine "All who are here before me! I abdicate my power as queen to my son Prince Arkion." Her voice cracked at the final word is large tears fell from her eyes completely disgraced and helpless.

"No, you can't!" Netossa protested at the Queen's decree her body shaking with rage "This isn't how change is made!" She raised her voice louder directing her fury towards the prints.

The Queen sobbed and shook her head, as the golden rope released her making her fall to her knees at the floor of the shrine. She kneeled there beside her son and covered her face in her hands not making any attention to move or dress anyone in her fragile state.

Arkion inhaled as he looked down at Bow and Netossa, letting out a long sigh the golden threads of rope curled closer to him in looping spirals. "Guards the Prince Alliances are no longer welcome in Vargon, we are from now on neutral to the Horde and their war effort." He answered his voice drained of any anger or manic fury that had been there mere seconds earlier.

"No! You can't do that!" The silver leaves blue-haired Princess screamed pointing a finger up at him "You might as well say your pro Horde you monster!" She held out her hand to summon up a net of magic energy, but her attack was quickly intercepted by the golden threads tangling itself within the grid making it tumble and collapsed uselessly across the room.

Bow lowered his weapon putting it back slowly as he reached for the princess's shoulder "Netossa, I think we should go." Bow said as he noticed each of the guards taking a hostile stance towards the two.

Netossa spun to look at him her eyes wide with anger "This is your fault!" She snapped before running off as fast as she could out of the building.

Bow followed as best as he could but quickly lost her in the crowd that was rushing towards the shrine each figure, he asked jabbed at him or made a shrieking noise as if he was an unpleasant insect. He pushed through the crowd to an empty part of the street and could already see Netossa galloping away on her horse. The side of her leaving him behind felt like a guild laced knife in his chest and his mind couldn't help but think that he was more to blame for the incident then Double Trouble was. Why wasn't he able to get through to the Prince and make him understand?

A cloud of dust rocketed through the colorful city barreling down like a storm from some far-off desert. The cloud stopped a few feet away from him and as the pebbles and dust subsided a light crystal blue mare stamped and trotted ever gently towards him.

Bow felt his eyes grow wet with tears as he ran over and hugged the blue horse so grateful that his horse Arrow had found him. "Come on girl." He said mounting the mare before riding off after Netossa. All the while cursing at himself for being so blind and foolish and even more cursed Zed 's who presence hung as a silent observer over everything he did.


	6. Chapter 5

Separated Part 2

The doors to the Crystal Castle slid open, as Adora entered with a frown. Earlier today she had been certainty about her strategy in splitting up the alliance's forces into tactical teams to ward off whatever Zed was planning. Though as time wore on, she began to be more anxious as she realized that she and her ever-eager steed Swift Wind would be handling her problem in a southern cave system all on her own. She had separated every other member or out based on their history with the area, or their knowledge of the terrain but she had no idea of what to expect in the area who she was heading to. More than that, she felt an unmistakable feeling almost like a premonition that she would be going up against Zed when she got there.

"Greets Adora, have you come for additional training." The glowing image of Light Hope hummed to life within the hollow walls of the First One's building. The hologram was completely unaware of Adora's intentions for visiting.

Adora looked at the hologram and only briefly grappled with how to explain her situation "Actually, I'm on a mission. What do you know about the Crown of Knowledge?" She asked almost bluntly that she wasn't sure that Light Hope would understand.

The hologram blinked and then went very still before saying "The Crown of Knowledge is a complementary tool to the Sword of Protection with the sole purpose to guide and regulate the happiness of Etheria's native population."

"Isn't that the same thing to maintaining balance?" Adora crossed her arms not understanding why if the sword is so powerful with their need to be another item that was essentially the same to be made. She smiled at the thought about how ludicrous it would be is that somewhere there was another sword just like hers being absolutely useless outside of Etheria.

Light Hope blinked and then shook her head and simply answered: "No, balance can be achieved without the happiness of a planet's inhabitants."

Adora clenched her fists slightly off-put by Light Hopes's explanation and asked: "Are you aware that the heir to the Horde currently has that crown?" Surely, since it was Adora's job as She-Ra to protect Etheria light Hope you must have some concerns in that regard.

Light Hope his expression was usually passive gave something similar to a frown before answering "Yes, I am, though it is not my place to intervene in that matter. Neither should you for your safety." Before returning to a more neutral expression.

"Why not!" Adora throws her hands up in the air like a child who was told not to go outside.

"There is another like me in charge of the champions of the Crown of Knowledge. They have already taken in the possibility of complete the Horde's invasion into account with about eight thousand potential scenarios. Out of the potential outcomes, it saw the new champions would have a more positive outcome's then destructive outcome." Light Hope said with a time when that Adora couldn't quite recognize, and she wondered if the hologram was in some way afraid of something.

However, that was quickly squashed, knowing that she had to stop the Horde in whatever form it may take and no matter who or what supported it. "Well, where are they? They made the worst choice for Etheria. They must have missed a variable in their decision prosses." If she could convince the second Light Hope that controlled the crown of knowledge that Zed was an awful wielder it would take the teeth out of the pointy-eared redhead's takeover of the planet.

"They're located in…" Light Hope froze glitching slightly before disappearing, the room becoming dim in her absents.

Adora groaned and screened herself seeing the hologram sudden disappearance as a way to avoid answering the question. She left the Crystal Castle realizing that seeking light hopes help was an obvious waste of time. She joined up a soft wind in headed self towards the mountain and cave system that was indicated on the map, a not formed in her stomach as each mile rushed below her. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself and let her mind drift to anything else to calm her down. As she did to piercing red suns glared down at her tendrils of darkness and red and yellow eyes brushed towards her from the seemingly unknown.

She opened her eyes jolting upright, shaking off what seemed like another awful vision of things to come yet provided no answers on how to prevent it. Adora gripped her sword reflexively as if the thing from her vision would appear from the sky in an attack her in Swift wind at any moment, though no such thing came. She watches the mountain range got closer and closer, resigning herself to what comes next.

Swift Wind landed on a cliff the was cracking under the shared weight of the winged horse and his rider. "I'll stay here, for back up." He was stamping his hooves as Adora dismounted eyeing the narrow cave entrance.

Adora stared into the darkened maw of the cave wondering what dangers lay within "If I'm not out in three hours." She told Swift Wind holding her sword readying to transform "Find Glimmer and Bow."

"Okie-Dokie," The rainbow maned steed said cheerfully flapping his wings to find a safer perch to wait from looking nervous all the while.

With an intake of breath, Adora summed up her confidence to shout "By the honor of Grayskull!" Transforming her into the taller glowing warrior She-Ra.

She entered the cave now much narrower and tunnel-like in her taller form. She walked deeper into the darkness, as the tunnel descended deeper into the cave system her stomach knotting up as space seemed to become tighter and claustrophobic with each step. To her relief, the constricted tunnel led up and widened becoming brighter as small glowing gems hanging from the wall like torches. Small openings that indicated that the cave branched out and other directions revealed themselves to her from the shadows of the delicate lights. It reminded her of the cave that Glimmer and herself traveled down to save Bow, that same cave that Zed course him to go in in the first place. Her body shook with the guilt of so flippantly not allowing him to go to the Princess the only retreat, looking back on it she was sure that the other girls wouldn't have minded him being there. Instead, she let one of her favorite people in the entire world was left completely vulnerable to one of the most dangerous people in the whole universe.

The cave opened up into a large chamber and then she felt a sense of relief and dread at who she saw there. At the far end of the room was a small cliff with two stones thrones upon the larger throne of was a massive green bald man with chipped yellow tusks holding a golden green scepter that held the tell symbols of a First One's device. On the other throne was a small girl with a chubby body type with a piggish nose and smaller tasks that poked out from her bottom lip. She didn't recognize these creatures but they stared down at her with recognition. What bothers her though was that Zed was there kneeling down in the glowing menacing armor that meant he was using the crown's power, he stood up and looked at her with that disgustingly terrifying mask that came with the bright red armor.

"She-Ra, it has been a long time." The green skin man said with a gruff broken voice "King Agho if you need to be reminded." He pointed to himself before gesturing to the girl beside him "Princess Ula, you would not remember her."

Strangely enough, Adora did recognize Ula. She was at Princess Prom going from group to group and trying to get involved in the conversation but knowing the events that went on that night she wondered if Ula would be happy to see her not as She-Ra. As she examined the princess's seemingly grumpy expression, she assumed that she would most likely not be pleased to know at that very moment.

Seizing an opportunity to use the king's familiarity with She-Ra to her advantage "Agho, Zed is very dangerous. Whatever he is telling you it is all lies" She said taking on an authoritative tone gesturing her blade at Zed.

Laughter emitted from the red armor as Zed looked up to the two seated figures "See, even She-Ra is blinded by the Frist One's empty promise of both freedom and peace." His voice was light and smug like a wall fed predator to had no fear of being hunted themselves "Down that roads, there is only more wars, more loss of innocence, and countless more deaths."

King Agho nodded in seeming agreement his small eyes watery as he put a hand on the princess's shoulder who jumped and blinked and confusion.

Adora gritted her teeth and turned to Zed, her golden hair and flowing with anger "Says the Prince of a genocidal, war-hungry empire!" She snapped at him readying a fighting stance to strike him "You are even worst then Hordak."

With a crackle of red lightning said made a cylinder of four technology that was his multi-tool appear in his hands extending it out as a long battle staff. "I'm only my father's sons." He said simply tapping the staff against the ground as the pieces of the metal cylinder shifted and changed in preparation for a counterattack "As I was made to be, I will never change."

Agho in his stone thrown a "Clash if you must, we will listen and judge" his tone was dull and disappointed at the behavior of the glowing figure.

She-Ra was the first to make a move swinging her sword you down at the shoulder of his suits red armor. However, as the attack was quickly countered by the staff creating a barrier of energy that deflected her initial strike. She pulled back and tried again with a different weapon only for him to spin the multi-tool around again each piece of metal morphing into a different form to counter her attacks.

She swooped her leg down to try to knock him onto his back, which resulted in him in grabbing her leg and sending her toppling on her back instead. She shot back up and swung once again this time he parried without any little effort sending her back again a considerable distance away. Her eyes flashed with icy fury as she turned her sword into shield bashing him hard enough to get him off balance before switching back to his sword.

Unable to get the upper hand in the battle she screamed out in rage "Why does Bow even trust you!" Her throat tightening with the frustration she had for the heir to the Horde as she around her blade hard into the multitool he used to keep blocking with, sparks flying as the sword of protection cut through wires and shifting pieces of metal.

The monstrous face of the mask met hers the eyes beneath the masked flashing with the motion that she had yet to see from him before "Don't you dare use his name against me! This is our fight!" He screamed shoving her hard and sending her sliding against the floor of the cave.

Realizing her words had struck a chord Adora changed her tactics "He says you're different." She tried for what seemed like the first time to appeal to the Zed that bow said existed "If he's your friend prove that you're different to everyone else, prove that you are good." She readied herself and watched for the Horde Prince's reaction.

He did not take it well his body tensed as a sparking multitool mashed with the red lightning that had first summoned it each red bolt stitching and welding the metal like a healing wound "Shut up!" He pointed the multitool out her and sent a horrific blast of energy at her "I'm doing what is best for my people!"

Turning her sword into shield once again she held the shield with both hands as the weight of the blast barreled down upon her. With a mighty push, she sent the blast into the cave wall is it burrowed and burned into a smoking crater beside her.

The multitool shifted into a massive lance of dark metal "I am Zed Kurr, son of Horde Prime. I am perfect, I'm not the one that needs to change!" He charged at her using his anger to fuel every step towards her.

"Lair!" She jumped over him switching her weapon back to shield as she slashed the back of his armor "That crown means the those who are on Etheria are your people, not the Horde. If the Crown was really meant for you, you'll switch sides and protect them." She kicked the damaged piece of the armor is hard as she could sending him down on his knees

Zed looked over his shoulder "and become a spineless traitor like you! Never!" He dropped his multi-tool to use his hands to throw punches against her "I will not abandon those who need me!" His voice cracked with something more than anger or sadness as his fists contacted against the sword of protection multiple times.

Using her sword to block his fists Adora realizes that her attempts to get through to him rationally were impossible. He was too much a part of the horde to ever understand what he was doing was wrong and her anger grew knowing that nothing not even Bow's friendship could ever stop him taking over the planet and continuing a blood-soaked legacy. In one last attempt to stop him, she slashed the side of his armor she pushes harder and harder even as his own armored hands pulled against the blade.

"Enough!" King Agho stood up from his throne using the First One's staff to send a shock wave throughout the cave creating a fissure between the two glowing combatants "Once the trolls welcomed invaders, all was at peace until the invaders left and all blamed the trolls. New invaders came and trolls wish to help fight, but all feared the trolls. Now both invaders and clash with tongues and steel, but do not feel each other's blows." He explained in his gruff broken accent the staff in his green monthly hands glowing and whirring in preparation for another attack.

Zed and Adora shouted over each other an attempt to persuade the subterranean King that their side was correct. Though the latter they shouted the louder their messages failed to be persuasive to the two observing trolls above them.

Agho pointed the staff down upon the two as it glowed robust earth the green in the made the walls of the cave shake "We will not listen where there is both clashing of tongues and steel! Not anymore! Now! Begone!" A beam of light filled the cave's chambers as the cave trembled with the force of multiple earthquakes.

The wielder of the Sword of Protection around the Crown of Knowledge uses the respective abilities to defend themselves from what seemed like the entire cave system collapsing in upon them. When the trembling stopped the Adora, no longer transformed as She-Ra was in it's in the cave. Around her was a thick fog making the trees and ground unrecognizable to her, glancing around you cannot see the glow of the Crown of Knowledge or the armor that it creates making it impossible to know that Zed was lurking somewhere close by.

Picking up the sword she did one more glance around before taking a deep breath and letting out a "Swiftwind! Anyone!" She called out into the fog and wondered where in the world she was.

(AN: Made this a two part-er, it was a lot longer and it took ALL SUMMER to finish so, it's been condensed, so I can move this Fic along and finished by the end of the year. Reviews and feedback are always appreciated but not required and I hope you will be patient while I work on the next chapters. I'm so excited for season 4 they just confirmed Double Trouble and I'll use their proper pronouns in future chapters!)


End file.
